


Honey and Carrots 3: ORIGINS

by Vanilla_Owns_Chocolate



Series: The Honeycarrot Chronicles [3]
Category: Vocaloid
Genre: (at least. one of the chapters is), 30 Day OTP Challenge, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Arcades, Autism Spectrum, Based on a Vocaloid Song, Bullying, Child Neglect, Dancing, F/F, Feelings Realization, First Dates, First Meetings, Gender Identity, Genderfluid Character, Holding Hands, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Internalized Homophobia, Love Confessions, Memes, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Overworking, Past Child Abuse, Sleepovers, Suicidal Thoughts, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:09:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 25,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24491068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanilla_Owns_Chocolate/pseuds/Vanilla_Owns_Chocolate
Summary: You may know Lily and Gumi's romance, but do you know how they first met? How they became the exceptionally close couple they are today?Learn how everyone's favorite lesbians navigated through the early days of their relationship and ended up forging one of the strongest bonds imaginable.
Relationships: Gumi/Lily (Vocaloid), Hatsune Miku/Kagamine Rin
Series: The Honeycarrot Chronicles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1376806
Comments: 12
Kudos: 21





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> *youtuber voice* HEEEEEYY WHATISUPGUYS its your boy ava aka vani aka lucas and we are BACK! at it again w another honeycarrot fic......this time ill be ~~stealing~~ using the prompt list that my lovely gf charcolor used in her flower/maika pride fic SO!!! youre gonna see how gumilily first met!!! isnt that just EPIC!
> 
> ok ok fr tho enough w the Gamer Talk alsfjk im super excited for this one AND! i love my wife very much and want to thank her for bein so supportive and incredible to me!!! shes always inspiring me and i love her so so so much!!!!
> 
> anyway!! enjoy the gays *eyes emoji*

Gumi needed more friends. Lily needed more friends.

Miku had never seen two girls more socially distant in her life. Gumi was shy and tended to steer away from people out of anxiety, while Lily deliberately provoked people into staying away from her. It was incredibly depressing, Miku thought, to see a pair of perfectly nice, misunderstood girls go with hardly any social interaction besides her. Sure, Gumi had her brother, and yes, Lily had her childhood friend Yuuma, but that was about it. Until Miku had met them, it had been clear that very few people in their lives had ever treated them with genuine kindness before.

It was while she was thinking this over that a brilliant idea struck her. _Of course!_ she thought, feeling very clever. _I should have them meet each other! What better way to start making friends than to work together?_ If Lily and Gumi met, they would each have someone to relate to - someone who knew what it was like to be lonely. Miku considered herself a great friend, but she honestly couldn't comprehend what it must feel like to be so isolated all the time. _Which is why they're perfect for each other! They won't have to be alone anymore!_

Yes, this was all well and good. Miku smiled to herself, feeling as if she had just discovered the secrets of the universe itself. Unfortunately, there was one thing she had failed to account for in her brilliant plan: Gumi and Lily were _painfully_ awkward.

They had been sitting at the lunch table for nearly three minutes now, and the two girls had resorted to simply eating their food silently while avoiding eye contact with one another. This wasn't how the plan was supposed to go! They were supposed to click with one another, they were supposed to bond, they were supposed to become fast friends! Though she tried to pretend she was normal, Miku was panicking internally; Had something gone wrong in her flawless introduction? She recalled what she had said.

"Gumi, I want you to meet Lily!" she announced, gesturing to the blonde girl sitting across from them. "Lily, meet Gumi! I figured both of you could use a new friend, so I thought we could all have lunch together!"

Silence. Gumi fidgeted somewhat uncomfortably, murmuring a simple "Hi" in Lily's general direction. Lily just waved and cleared her throat awkwardly.

And the silence just continued for the next three minutes - wait, four minutes, now. Miku wondered what she had done wrong. Was she too direct? Did she make them feel bad somehow? Were they self-conscious about not having many friends, and had she accidentally made them feel bad about it? This was not good. This was so, so not good.

...No, no! She could save this! Maybe all they needed was some time alone together! Yes, Miku reasoned, maybe all she was doing was getting in the way. Perhaps if they spent more one-on-one time together, they could strike up a conversation! _Oh, Miku, you are a friendship master!_

"Ahem!" she said, trying to act natural. "I just remembered I left one of my notebooks in my last classroom! I should go and get it!" She tried to give Gumi a wink, but she didn't think the shorter girl caught it due to what appeared to be rising panic on her face. Oh, well. "Be right back! You two have fun!" And with that, she skipped away behind a nearby tree.

Thus, Gumi and Lily were left alone at the table, the air between them growing thick with tension. For a while, neither of them said anything. Then, Lily spoke, shuffling her feet under the table.

"So, uh...you a second year?"

"Y-yeah," Gumi responded, daring to look up into the girl's bright blue eyes. "You?"

"Same," Lily muttered. "I was surprised I didn't get held back. I did fuckin' terrible last year."

"Oh." Gumi didn't know how to respond. Instead, she looked down at her lunch, her face burning a slight shade of red.

Lily scratched the back of her head nervously. "Shit, sorry, I forgot to warn you I say 'fuck' a lot. And 'shit.' They're, uh, kinda like my punctuation."

Gumi waved her hands. "Oh, no, it's okay, I don't mind! We're high schoolers, after all."

Lily snickered a bit. "Yeah, I know, but sometimes Miku doesn't like it when I swear. She tells me to watch my language, like she's my fuckin' mom or somethin'." She shook her head, though there was the faintest hint of a smile on her face. "You're not gonna do that, are ya?"

Gumi shook her head quickly. "N-no! I'm just, uh, not used to hearing people say it that often."

Lily smirked, her eyebrows raised teasingly. "What, you've never said 'fuck' before?"

"Uh, well..." Gumi looked around self-consciously. "Not in _public._ "

"Really?" Lily chuckled. "What if I dared you to do it right now?"

"What?! No!"

"Ha, nerd." Lily smiled and, for the first time that afternoon, actually made eye contact with Gumi...only to find tears in her eyes. "...Wait, what?" She panicked, wondering what she did wrong, only to remember her previous comment. "Oh, shit, wait, sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to call you a nerd! Well, I mean, I did, but not in, like, a mean way, y'know? I meant it in, like, a joking way, like how-"

She was interrupted when Gumi mumbled something unintelligible. Confused, Lily leaned closer, trying to hear what it was. "Uhh, can you repeat that?"

"Ffff..." Gumi took a deep breath before whispering, "Fuck."

Lily blinked, shocked. Then, before she knew it, she started laughing. "Holy shit," she gasped, "see you in hell, smart mouth!"

Gumi was somewhat taken aback by the sudden laughter, but she soon found herself giggling as well. "S-sorry," she said between chuckles, "I'm not that used to saying it."

Lily waved a hand dismissively. "Hey, forget about it! It's fuckin' refreshing to hear comin' from-"

" _What_ did you say?!" cried a horrified voice from behind them. Gumi turned around to see Miku standing there with a disapproving look on her face.

"I said, uh..." Gumi paused. "...Frick?"

Miku wagged her finger at her friends. "We do not use that kind of language in the friendship zone! This is a safe-for-school place!"

She went on and on, lecturing them about the importance of kind words instead of mean ones, but Lily and Gumi weren't listening. Instead, they were shooting each other amused looks, trying to stifle their laughter.

Little did they know, they were each thinking the same thing: _Maybe this nerd isn't so bad after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and thus.......the Saga Begins...........
> 
> (also yes lily was a bitch when she was in high school. its......kinda why she has no friends)


	2. Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for internalized homophobia

Finding out that she was gay was already a terrifying discovery for Gumi.

Finding out that she was gay for _Lily_ was even more terrifying.

She came to the conclusion in the middle of a sleepless night, her mind wandering as it usually did whenever she couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing and buzzing with anxiety as usual, so she decided to do what she always did to calm down: think of Lily.

Somehow, just the thought of Lily's presence was comforting. She was always such a wonderful, supportive friend, giving her a shoulder to cry on when she needed it, so full of humor and her own unique brand of wit, so sweet and caring when the moment called for it, so beautiful-

And that was when it hit her like a ton of bricks: _Oh my god, I'm in love with Lily._

She sat bolt upright in bed, all her anxiety returning to her in an instant. She tried to deny it, she tried furiously to deny it, but it just made sense all the same. Nobody thought about their friends this much, right? Nobody admired their friends the way she admired Lily, nobody longed to be held by them, to be cherished by them, to be loved-

 _No, no, no!_ she cried inside her head, shaking all the fantasies away. _It's probably just an intrusive thought. I don't actually_ want _to be in a relationship with Lily, do I?_

But deep down, Gumi knew the difference between an intrusive thought and what she was feeling right now. Intrusive thoughts made her feel disgusted, ashamed, and horrified. The thought of being with Lily made her feel...happy...?

No. No, it was probably all a dream. Yes, that was it. Sometimes dreams could seem so very real, could convince her that she was rooted in reality, and then she'd wake up and everything would be normal. She'd be a normal girl who liked boys and didn't think about girls that way, much less her best friend.

This was what she told herself, even when she didn't end up getting any sleep that night.

* * *

"You're in love with her," Yuuma said, not looking away from his game for a second.

Lily started, her head whirling around to look at him. " _What?_ "

"You love her, dude. More than you loved any of the other girls you've been with." He paused to shove a handful of popcorn in his mouth and then kept playing.

Lily chuckled somewhat nervously. "I dunno what you're talkin' about."

"Gumi, dumbass," Yuuma responded, rolling his eyes. "Y'know, the girl you've been hangin' out with? The girl you won't shut the fuck up about?"

Lily groaned and angrily mashed the buttons on her controller. "And what makes you say that?"

"Cuz you're not playing as Samus right now. You're playin' as Sheik. That's Gumi's main."

"So what?!" Lily demanded hotly. "I can't change up who I play as every now and again?"

"You have never played as anyone but Samus in your entire life." Yuuma scooped up some more popcorn. "Trust me, when you're a Smash pro like me, you get to know people based on who they play. Like, their thought process and shit. And right now, it's very obvious that you're thinkin' about Gumi." He punctuated his statement by delivering a final blow to Sheik, knocking her off-screen. As the victory music started playing he put down his controller and looked Lily in the eye. "You love her, man."

Lily hoped her reddening face wasn't noticeable in the dim light of Yuuma's living room. "Whatever, asshole," she said, giving him a shove. "Don't even get me fuckin' started on you with Yohio."

Yuuma shrugged. "At least I'm humble enough to admit it."

" _Humble?_ " Lily shook her head. "Okay, Mr. 'Buy-My-Mixtape.'"

Yuuma gasped in mock indignation. "Dude, don't come for my mixtape like that! I have to advertise it somehow!"

"Yeah?" She lifted her controller again. "If I kick your ass this round, you are forbidden from mentioning it at the next party we go to."

He sighed and gave her playful punch on the shoulder. "Fine. You're on, bitch." He smirked. "You're still in love with her, though."

Lily snickered a bit, but didn't respond. He was wrong, so why make him think he wasn't by giving him a response? No, no, she totally wasn't in love with Gumi. It was just a simple crush, right?

 _Dammit,_ she thought, _I really shouldn't have picked Sheik again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *i wont say im in love from hercules plays in the background*


	3. The Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for internalized homophobia (including the d slur), implied child neglect, and unwanted/intrusive thoughts of rape/sexual harassment

Gumi had never had a sleepover before, so to say that she was nervous would be an understatement.

She had spent all day making sure the house looked as neat as it possibly could. She told Ryuto to be on his best behavior, and while he swore he would, she could tell he was far too excited at the thought of someone coming over to really listen to her. Whatever. He was actually the least of Gumi's concerns, the biggest being herself.

What if Lily thought she was uncool? What if she didn't like the stuff Gumi had planned? What if she didn't have fun and left and she would lose her best friend and then she would tell Miku and Miku would tell Rin and Len and nobody would want to be her friend ever again and-

She shook her head, suddenly realizing that she was clutching her own hair in a vice-like grip. She would be fine. Everything would be fine. Lily would understand if something went wrong, and she wouldn't leave her for something as simple as a crappy sleepover. This was Gumi's first time doing something like this, so of course Lily wouldn't be too upset at her. She was a good friend.

A good _friend._ That was all, Gumi told herself. Deep down, there was another reason she was so afraid: she knew her feelings for Lily might get in the way of fully enjoying what was supposed to be a purely platonic sleepover. Though she knew for a fact that she would never, _ever_ do anything to hurt Lily, her intrusive thoughts told her otherwise. _You're going to creep her out,_ they told her, _you're going to do something horrible and she'll never forgive you. You're nothing but a dirty, desperate dy-_

The doorbell rang. Gumi froze for a moment, but quickly took another deep breath and went over to answer the door. Sure enough, Lily was there, pumped as ever.

"What is UP, dude?!" she cried, wrapping her arms around Gumi for an enthusiastic hug. "I am so fuckin' hyped for this sleepover, you have no fuckin' idea!"

"Th-that's great, but, uh..." Gumi tried to glance behind her. "Try to keep the swearing at a minimum around my little brother?"

Lily let her go and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Heh, oops. Sorry. Where is the little guy, anyway?"

"I'm right here!" Ryuto announced, practically running into the room. He looked up at Lily in awe, eyes wide with intrigue. " _You're_ Gumi's friend?"

"You bet!" Lily said, kneeling down to be at his eye level. "Nice to meet ya, kid! I'm Lily!"

Ryuto didn't respond, instead continuing to stare at Lily in wonder. "You're so... _buff!_ "

Gumi flushed in embarrassment, but Lily laughed heartily. "It's so I can beat up bad guys!" she replied. "I'm kinda the worst nightmare of every bully at school."

"That's so cool!" Ryuto looked over at Gumi. "Gumi, why didn't you tell me your friends were so cool?!"

Gumi found herself giggling at Ryuto and Lily's interactions, a huge weight lifting off of her chest. She suddenly felt as if this sleepover might not be so bad after all.

* * *

Everything turned out much better than Gumi ever imagined.

Together, the three of them had played games, watched movies, and stayed up way later than Gumi ever would have allowed Ryuto on any other night. Lily, as it turned out, was surprisingly great with kids; Ryuto was mesmerized by her and her tales of "coolness," which were all events that Gumi had been present for and could secretly confirm that they were not nearly as action-packed as Lily had made them out to be. But it didn't matter, because they were all having fun, and Gumi found herself wishing that they could all stay that way forever.

But inevitably, all good things had to come to an end, and when Ryuto let out a barely-stifled yawn, Gumi knew it was time for all of them to go to bed.

"Aww, but I don't wanna..." Ryuto tried to protest, but it was clear that he could hardly keep his eyes open.

"Come on," Gumi prompted, "you can see Lily again in the morning, and we can all hang out until it's time for her to go home, okay?"

It was clear that Ryuto wanted to argue about it, but he was just too tired to say anything more, so he simply nodded instead and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

"You're really good with him, y'know," Lily said once he had gone. There was a look of deep respect in her eyes, something that was quite uncommon for her, and Gumi felt somewhat flattered by it.

"So are you," she responded. "I'd say he listens to you more than he listens to me."

Lily smiled wistfully. "Aww, I'm sure he's a sweet kid deep down. What about your parents? How is he around them?"

Gumi stopped what she was doing. An awkward silence hung in the air. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she said, "He's...good."

Lily fidgeted a bit, clearly sensing that she had said something wrong. Thankfully, she didn't question where Gumi's parents were - she had told her that they were away on a business trip, which was partially true (though, knowing them, they were probably doing other things besides business).

Gumi cleared her throat and turned to Lily, plastering on a big fake smile. "Let's get ready for bed, too. I'm starting to get tired."

"Yeah," Lily nodded, "will do."

* * *

It was once they had gotten in bed together that things started to go wrong.

Lily had offered to bring a sleeping bag, but Gumi didn't want her friend sleeping on the floor, so instead she had offered to let her sleep in her bed, as it was big enough for the two of them. Lily had agreed, and once they were all settled in, Gumi should have been all ready to fall asleep.

Instead, her anxiety was through the roof.

She wasn't afraid of Lily - in fact, she felt quite safe with the warmth of her body pressed up against her - rather, she was afraid of the thoughts and feelings that raced through her head as they were lying down next to each other. _Are you enjoying this?_ the thoughts whispered. _That's disgusting. You're disgusting. You're probably going to do something horrible to her once she falls asleep._

_I'm not!_ she insisted, and she knew that for a fact. But her anxiety would not let her rest, and as this back-and-forth continued, it became increasingly obvious that she would not be going to sleep any time soon.

"Uhh, Goom? Are you okay?" Lily asked, concern evident in her voice. Gumi tried to turn toward her, tried to give her a reassuring smile, but found herself unable to due to sheer disgust with herself.

"I'm fine," she said instead, hating how obvious it was that she was not. She felt Lily shift beside her, and saw a hand reach out to turn her toward her friend.

"Are you sure?" Lily's face was serious, making Gumi feel incredibly guilty for lying to her like this.

"I..." Gumi swallowed thickly, debating what she should say. "I can't sleep." It wasn't a lie, but she still felt bad about not telling her the whole truth. She supposed it was better than making her think she was some kind of awful pervert, though.

"Ohh." Lily nodded in understanding. "I get it. I'm, uh, havin' the same problem right now." She sighed, and for a brief moment Gumi thought she saw sadness in her eyes. "Do you wanna talk about it?" she suddenly asked, and Gumi froze all over again.

"I, um, uh..." _Go ahead. Tell her. Tell her how disgusting you are._ "I can't sleep because..." _Because you're a pervert. Because you're a dyke. Because you're in love with your best friend._ "Because..." _Because you want to do things to her, don't you?_

"No, I don't!" she cried, and with that, she broke down, tears coming out alongside rapid gasps. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she wheezed, "I'm sorry, you must hate me, you must think I'm a freak, you-"

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" Lily looked shocked, and she made to wrap her arms around Gumi, deciding at the last minute to simply put a hand on her arm instead. "It's okay, it's okay, sweetheart. I promise I don't hate you. What's wrong? Why do you think that?"

"Because..." _You might as well tell her. She's probably figured it out at this point._ "Because I...I'm..." Gumi couldn't look Lily in the eye, instead choosing to bury her face in her friend's chest. "I think I'm in love with you."

For a moment, there was nothing but complete silence except for her own sobs. Then came Lily's voice, disbelieving and breathless: "Really?"

Gumi simply nodded, hopping she wasn't messing up Lily's shirt with her tears. "Y-yeah, I think I have been for a while now, a-and-" She paused to choke out another sob. "And that's why you probably hate me, because we're having this sleepover, and you probably think I'm gonna try to- to-" She couldn't finish her own sentence, instead choosing to look up at Lily with pleading eyes. "But I'm _not!_ I swear I'm not, I would never ever do anything to hurt you, I don't _want_ to hurt you!"

"Hey, hey, listen!" Lily moved her hands to Gumi's shoulders, holding her firmly in place. "Listen to me. I know you're not going to hurt me. I...I love you, too." Her face burned a bright shade of red, but she didn't look away, and it was apparent with just one look in her eyes that she was serious.

Gumi forgot how to form coherent words for a brief moment, simply muttering out a, "Wha??"

Lily took a deep inhale through her nose, and for the first time Gumi realized how nervous she was. "I love you, too. And I'm the same way." She looked away, seemingly ashamed of herself. "I worry about hurting you, too. Sometimes, when I'm with you - like right now - I get these really annoying thoughts that try to tell me that I'm a horrible person. That I secretly want to do awful stuff to you or something." Tears pricked in the corner of her eyes. "I'm on medication for it, actually. Apparently, it's some kind of disorder - Obsessive-Compulsive, I think? You ever heard of that?"

"Like...like OCD?" Gumi had heard of that before, but she always thought it was just that disorder that made you want to organize things. She was pretty sure that Rin had something like that, actually, but she had never gone into any further detail about it.

"Yeah, that's it. Anyway, my therapist told me that people who have that disorder get intrusive thoughts like that all the time, and they don't mean anything about who you are as a person. How do I explain it? It's like..." She stopped, searching for the right words. "If you were really a horrible person, you would enjoy the thought of doing those things to me without my permission. The fact that you hate those thoughts and clearly have no intention of doin' that stuff is proof that you're not like that, y'know?" Gently, she took one of Gumi's hands in hers. "I know you, Gumi. And I know you would never deliberately do anything to hurt anybody like that."

That was an immense relief to hear, but Gumi still felt a bit anxious. "But...but I enjoyed the thought of sleeping next to you!"

"But that's fine!" Lily assured her, giving her hand a squeeze. "There's nothin' wrong with that! It was the thought of hurting me that upset you. Sleeping next to me is not hurting me. It's..." She blushed, and it occurred to Gumi that she had never seen Lily act shy before. "It's what girlfriends do. And...and you want to be my girlfriend, right? Cuz I'd...I'd like that, too."

Gumi suddenly found it hard to breathe, but not in an unpleasant way. She couldn't believe this was really happening; was Lily really offering to be her girlfriend? Here? Now? After she had just freaked out and cried all over her pajamas???

"I...I think so," she admitted. "I think about it a lot, and it actually makes me feel happy, so I know it's not, um...an OCD thing." She found herself meeting Lily's gaze, unable to look away from her bright blue eyes. "Are you sure you want to? Be girlfriends, I mean?"

Lily nodded, and for the first time they both noticed that their faces were mere inches away from each other. In a quiet, breathless tone, Lily whispered, "Can I kiss you?"

Gumi felt like she was paralyzed to nod, so she simply murmured, "Mhm." And with that, she felt Lily's lips against hers, surprisingly soft and pleasantly warm.

Kissing Lily felt strange at first, mostly because Gumi had never enjoyed kissing someone before. She had boyfriends in the past, before she realized she was gay, and kissing them never felt like anything to her. It was just a thing they did, a thing that should have felt significant but never did. Kissing Lily, on the other hand, felt like the most significant moment in her life. She _wanted_ to kiss her, wanted to be lost in the feeling of her lips against hers forever, wanted to do this again and again and again until she got tired of it, but that felt like it would never happen. She couldn't imagine herself getting tired of this feeling; it was too thrilling, too passionate, full of such genuine love and affection that she had never experienced before.

She lost track of time as they continued to kiss. All she knew was that they broke apart at some point to catch their breath and look into each others' eyes before leaning in again at the same time. This kiss felt right, somehow, as if it was the actual confirmation of their love and not just some random act of passion. They knew now, knew that they were meant to be, that they could be together.

When they finally stopped, they were silent, simply holding each other in the quiet darkness of Gumi's room. Finally, for the first time that night, Gumi felt truly tired, like she could fall asleep in the comfort of Lily's arms.

"Noddin' off?" Lily asked, her voice heavy with drowsiness. Gumi nodded, too exhausted to say anything. "Me, too." A kiss was planted on the top of her head, causing Gumi to hum in pleasure. "Nini, Gumi," Lily slurred, "I love you."

And there it was. The sweet, freeing realization that they were free to say that to each other now. Gumi snuggled in closer, whispering a soft, "I love you, too," as she fell asleep buried in Lily's gentle embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hewwo uwu i would like to dedicate this chapter to my wonderful gf aimee aka charcolor bc today marks two whole years since we first met when she commented on the third chapter of the original honey and carrots fic!!!!! i love her so much!!!!
> 
> also this chapter is very personal for me as someone with ocd who deals with intrusive thoughts on a regular basis. ocd is more than just "i must put everything in order!!", its an actual serious disorder that ive always written gumi and lily as having without really realizing it. ig thats what happens when you project too much on your fav fictional characters lol


	4. First Date

At this point in his life, Yuuma was not surprised at all to see Lily climbing through his bedroom window completely unannounced.

"Yuu, I need your help!" she cried, tripping over the windowsill and tumbling onto the floor.

"Go on," he replied, not looking away from his computer screen. He was too busy making sick beats to be concerned about his best friend's well-being at the moment.

"Okay, SO," Lily began, pacing around the room, "As you know, Gumi and I have started dating recently-"

"It's about time."

"Shut up. Anyway, I just realized...don't we need to have, like, a first date or somethin'?"

For the first time, Yuuma turned around and looked at her, a faint hint of amusement on his face. "Why are you askin' me? You've been in more relationships than I have."

"Because I-" Lily sighed and put her face in her hands. "Alright, don't tell anyone this, but I've never actually been on a real 'date' before. Like, I've gone over to girls' houses before and had them come over to mine, but that was different. Those weren't dates, they were..." She waved her hand vaguely. "Well, y'know."

Yuuma nodded, seemingly in deep thought.

"So I thought I'd ask you, since you're dating Yohio right now, and you're way better at all that romantic shit than I am."

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Yuuma's brow was furrowed in concentration, while Lily waited, holding her breath. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Yuuma asked, "Does she like raves?"

Lily groaned. "Uuugh, Yuu, this is no time to promote your music-"

"No, no, I'm serious." He looked her in the eye, his expression entirely genuine. " _Does_ she like raves?"

"She-!" Lily was about to speak, but then she paused, taking his words into consideration. She knew from being friends with Gumi for so long that her taste in music _was_ actually geared toward the kind of music one would hear at raves - definitely the kind that Yuuma specialized in. And while she was terrified of crowds, she had always talked about how much she loved the aesthetic of raves, with their bright colors and loud, pumping music. She had never been to one, but... "Hmm. Maybe. Why, do you got a gig or somethin'?"

Yuuma nodded. "Next Friday night. It's a professional thing, so it costs money, but I can get you guys in for free if I say you're associated with me."

Lily considered it. "Do you need ID to get in?"

Yuuma snorted. "I need an ID for most of the things I do, but nobody cares. As long as I say you're with me, it's cool."

"So, basically, you're asking me to take my girlfriend to a loud music party that we technically shouldn't legally be allowed at for our first date."

"Yep."

Lily didn't say anything for a long time. Then, a smile grew on her face, and she patted her friend on the back. "Yuuma, you're a genius! For once, your gay-ass music might actually save the day!"

Yuuma shrugged. "I try."

* * *

As soon as they entered the club, Lily's eyes anxiously darted to Gumi, searching her face for any sign that something was wrong. Instead, she was struck by the look of pure wonder and amazement on Gumi's face as she looked around.

"Oh my god," she breathed, "there's so many _colors!_ " She flapped her hands in excitement, looking at all the bright, flashing neon lights. She gasped when she looked over at a nearby stand that was selling glowsticks and glow bracelets, shaking Lily's arm. "Look, look, look!!! We can get glowsticks!!!"

Lily laughed and squeezed her hand. "You want one?"

"Yes!!" Gumi paused, then blushed. "I mean, um, if it's okay with you..."

"Relax, sweetheart. I'll get some for you and for myself. How's that sound?"

"Y-you don't have to-"

"I insist," Lily said, winking in what she hoped was a very cool way. It appeared to work, because Gumi let out a shy giggle and nodded.

"Okay," she said, holding Lily's hand while they walked to the glowstick stand.

Soon enough, the two of them were decked out in glowing bracelets of various colors, holding two glowsticks in each hand. Gumi was mesmerized by everything, waving her arms around to watch the colors dance through the darkness.

"This is so cool!" she gasped, practically bouncing in place. "Thank you so much!"

"No problem, babe," Lily replied, smiling at her girlfriend's cuteness. "How do I look?" She gestured to herself, feeling kind of silly all covered in glowing bracelets. Gumi chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"You also look really cool," she said tenderly, giving her a light hug. "Thank you for doing this for me. I love you."

Lily grinned and tapped her on the shoulder. "Well, don't thank me just yet!" She pointed at the stage, where the old DJ was getting ready to leave. "Look!"

An announcement came over the speakers. "And now, taking the place of our last act is an up-and-coming talent: DJ VY2!"

"VY2?" Gumi's brow furrowed for a minute, but then she gasped in recogniton. "Oh, right! Yuuma! I forgot that was his stage name."

Lily giggled and shook her head. "Yeah, he's a dork. Now, c'mon! The real show's about to start!" She took her girlfriend's hand and ran towards the front of the stage, pushing people out of the way in the process. There weren't too many people yet, so it was easy to get up close.

Sure enough, Yuuma was already there, just finishing setting up his equipment. When he saw Lily and Gumi, he winked at them, and approached the microphone. "Hey, everyone! You ready to rave?!"

The crowd cheered, and Yuuma smiled in response.

"Alright! Before we begin, though, I just wanna give a quick shout-out to my pals, Lily and Gumi!" He pointed toward them and waved, and the audience cheered once more. Gumi blushed and clung to Lily's arm, but it was obvious that she was flattered by the attention.

"Now, without further ado, let's get those glowsticks wavin'!" He pressed a few buttons on his equipment, and soon hardcore electronic music began to pump from the speakers.

Lily had been to raves before, so she knew what to do, but she was surprised to find Gumi already bouncing along to the music as if she had gone to plenty of raves in her life. In fact, the more she looked at Gumi's movements, the more it began to click in her mind: Gumi was stimming. _Of course!_ That was why she liked the idea of raves so much! She already stimmed to this kind of music, and she absolutely loved bright colors; this place must have been like sensory heaven for her.

Lily felt a surge of pride and happiness take over her as she watched her girlfriend dance without a care in the world. She had been so worried that this date would be a failure, but Gumi was evidently overjoyed. And as long as she was happy, Lily was happy.

Together, they danced and raved through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW THIS PRETTY RAVE GIRL ALWAYS THINK ABOUT HER AND WHEN SHE SAYS HI TO ME BUTTERFLIES GO RIGHT THRU ME


	5. Reminder

Lily was always sending Gumi things that reminded her of her.

It had been like that since before they started dating, but now it was becoming a lot more common. There were two images in particular that she liked to send whenever they were far apart: one of a rabbit saying "on my way to kiss you on your sweet nose," to which Gumi would reply with an image of a cat saying "on my way to be kissed on my sweet nose." Eventually, they started saying it out loud, always immediately following it up by kissing each others' noses. It was dorky, but they would have been lying if they said they didn't like it.

While Lily tended to send more humorous images, Gumi liked to send sweeter ones. Whenever she saw a cute picture of bees or flowers, she would send them to Lily, usually with the caption "reminded me of you......uwu.....". She hoped it wasn't too cheesy, but Lily loved it, which was enough to put her mind at ease.

In real life, they had their own little reminders of one another. Lily had a secret passion for gardening, so she would often give flowers to Gumi and teach her how to care for them. Soon, they ended up starting their own little garden in Gumi's backyard, filled with all kinds of brightly-colored flowers. Tending to the garden reminded Gumi of how soft and caring her girlfriend really was behind her tough exterior, and it filled her heart with joy and love.

Meanwhile, Gumi was always working on some personal project or another whenever she had free time. She liked working with gadgets and assembling or modifying figurines, and was happy to show Lily her progress on whatever she was currently making. Sometimes, she would make cute little trinkets and give them to Lily as a way of thanking her for putting up with her "annoying" progress updates. Lily didn't think they were annoying at all; in fact, she loved hearing about them, and being able to possess something her girlfriend made especially for her filled her with a sense of pride she had never felt before. Pride in herself and pride in her girlfriend for being so talented and thoughtful.

Physical or not, their relationship was filled with little reminders about what made their love so special, and neither of them would have had it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for a minute i debated on departing from the Prequel premise for this one chapter but i thot "nah lily has just always been like this"
> 
> also me and aimee quote the "on my way to kiss/be kissed on your/my sweet nose" thing all the time https://guooey.tumblr.com/post/190599574685


	6. New to the Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story is actually set much later in the timeline in case u couldnt tell lmao like.....theyve already graduated high school @ this point but they havent gotten married yet so its like......part midquel part almost-up-to-date

"Ryuto?" Gumi called her brother into the living room, where she was holding hands with Lily on the couch. "Can you come in here, please? There's something we want to tell you."

"Coming!" Ryuto called, and the two of them heard the sound of him hastily picking things up.

Lily looked at Gumi nervously. "How do you think he'll react?"

Gumi squeezed her hand reassuringly. "He loves you. He'll be thrilled, don't worry."

Ryuto entered the room, noticeably brightening when he saw Lily. He gave her a brief wave before plopping down in the chair across from them. "What is it?"

"Well..." Gumi and Lily looked at each other before Gumi continued. "Lily and I have been dating for a long time, and-"

"Are you breaking up?!" Ryuto asked in alarm.

Gumi gasped, and Lily pressed a hand over her own mouth to stifle her giggles. "No!" Gumi insisted, nudging Lily sternly. "No, no, it's nothing like that at all."

Ryuto seemed relieved. "Are you getting married?"

"Ryuto-!" Gumi began, only to stop, dumbfounded. "Wait, how did you know?"

Ryuto grinned triumphantly. "I knew it all along!" He straightened up, seeming incredibly proud of himself. "You guys call each other wives all the time. It's kinda obvious you were gonna do it."

Once again, Lily and Gumi glanced at each other, not sure how to proceed. They had wanted to tell Ryuto themselves, but they had underestimated how apparent it was that they intended to get married. Then, Lily spoke up, a hint of shyness in her voice. "So, um...you know that means I'll live here all the time, right?"

Ryuto nodded, smiling really wide. "Yep!"

"And you're...okay with that?"

"Uh, yeah!" he said, as if it was obvious. "You already come over all the time, anyway."

Gumi hesitated before joining in. "This will be different, Ryuto. Lily will live here 24/7. Once we get married, she'll basically be like...like a new sister to you."

"Really?!" He looked at Lily, eyes wide. "You're gonna be my sister?!"

"Well, um..." Lily coughed awkwardly. "Sister-in-law, technically. But, yeah."

"That's so cool!!!" He bounced in his chair. "I didn't know you could just get new sisters that way!" He looked at Gumi pleadingly. "Can I tell Yuki and Oliver and Una about it, pleeeease?"

Gumi blinked, somewhat shocked that it was that easy. "Um...sure, go ahead. But-"

"Yes!" Ryuto got up and raced back toward his room. Unfortunately, he must have forgotten to pick up everything that was in the way, because he tripped and fell as he entered. "I'm okay!!" he called, and soon the door closed. Soon, they heard the muffled sound of him talking on the phone with his friends, presumably telling them all about the cool new sister he was getting.

For a while, Gumi and Lily sat there, trying to process how fast everything had just gone by. "Well," Lily said, "I guess you were right. He doesn't mind at all."

Gumi laughed and leaned against her shoulder. "He has always admired you. Honestly, I'm not that surprised that he'd be excited about it."

Lily sighed contently and wrapped an arm around her fiancée. "I'm excited too. I'm gettin' a gorgeous wife and an awesome little brother."

Gumi smiled and gave her a peck on the lips. "Welcome to the family," she whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was planning on doing something else w this chapter but i think we can save that for a later prompt :)


	7. Laughter

If there was one thing Lily found out about Gumi after they started dating, it was that Gumi was really, _really_ ticklish.

One day, when they were snuggling together, Lily began trailing kisses all the way down to Gumi's stomach. She stopped there, giving it a little nuzzle with her nose, and raised her eyebrows a bit when she heard a barely-stifled giggle rise from Gumi's throat.

"Oooh," Lily teased, a smirk rising to her face, "is somebody ticklish?"

Gumi averted her eyes, covering up her smile with her hand. "Nnooo..." she trailed, trying and failing to be convincing.

Lily straightened up. "Oh, okay," she said, returning to her previous spot and wrapping an arm around her girlfriend.

Gumi blinked, surprised that it had worked. "Wait, really?"

Then, without warning, Lily's hand shot out and began tickling mercilessly at Gumi's stomach, forcing shocked laughter out of her. Gumi tried to squirm out of the way, but Lily's other arm was still around her, limiting her movement.

"You fool! You let your guard down!" Lily announced dramatically, pressing kisses to the side of Gumi's head. The more she tickled her, the higher her laughter became. Lily had never heard her laugh so hard up until now, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of pride at the thought that she was probably one of the first people to hear her laugh like this.

" _Noooo!_ " Gumi wailed, kicking her feet. " _Ahaha_ \- n-not fair! - _hahaha!_ "

Lily stuck out her tongue. "Life ain't fair, babe. Sorry, not sorry."

"Sh-shut up!" Gumi giggled, finally managing to wriggle away from Lily's hand. She turned over onto her stomach so that it couldn't be reached anymore, effectively ending the tickle war. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, but they were evidently tears of laughter. Still chuckling, she planted a kiss on Lily's lips. "Don't ever do that again!"

Lily shrugged. "I dunno. Now that I know how cute your laugh is, I might do it way more often."

Gumi rolled her eyes, snuggling deeper into Lily's embrace. "Whatever. I'll get my revenge somehow."

"Good luck with that. I'm not ticklish. You're gonna have to find some other way to get back at me."

Gumi huffed, pulling Lily in for another kiss. This one was longer than the last, and they felt themselves trying not to smile against each other's lips. Eventually, it grew softer, and when they broke apart, they were looking into each other's eyes lovingly.

Gumi brushed some stray hair out of Lily's face, holding her tender gaze. Then, her voice low, she whispered, "Real clown hours."

Lily let out a snort of laughter. She wrapped both of her arms around Gumi and gave her a crushing hug, giggling even more when she heard her start singing generic circus music.

"Oh, knock it off, you're the real clown here!" Lily said, running her fingers through her girlfriend's hair.

"Whatever! You're the whole circus!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yep!"

Lily turned Gumi over so she was lying on her back again and began tickling her stomach once more. "Take it back!"

Gumi squealed and tried to squirm away, but her eyes were still full of determination. "Never!"

Lily grinned, laughing alongside her. She didn't care if it made her a clown; listening to Gumi's laugh would always bring her joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a callout post for my girlfriend. she KNOWS im ticklish and yet she tickles me anyway. i would tickle her back but shes not nearly as ticklish as i am. i need to come up with a counter plan to defeat her please help


	8. First Kiss

"What was your first kiss like?"

The question startled Lily, and she looked down at Gumi in confusion. Her girlfriend was nestled in her arms, stroking Lily's hands with her thumbs, but not making eye contact with her.

"Uhh...why do you ask?" Lily said, shifting a bit uncomfortably.

Gumi squeezed her hands. "Don't worry, I'm not mad or jealous or anything. I just want to know because..." She sighed, burying her face in Lily's arm. "My first kiss was with a boy. And I guess I should have known that something wasn't right about it, because I didn't feel happy or special. I just felt kinda...empty. Like I wasted it." Her voice trembled slightly, but she continued. "I think that was when I started to realize that I didn't like boys, but I kept dating them anyway, because I thought maybe he just wasn't the right one. But none of them were." She met Lily's gaze, sadness etched all over her face. "I just want to know if...if yours was..." She suddenly became incredibly self-conscious, turning away once again to hide her face.

Lily felt a pang of sympathy wash over her, and she reached out to gently stroke Gumi's hair and give her a light peck on the top of her head. "Don't worry. I understand." She furrowed her brow, trying to turn her mind back to her childhood. "Well, I never dated any boys," she began, "I just kinda knew I was gay. Yuuma always used to tease me when we were kids 'cause I used to be obsessed with, like, Rouge the Bat and shit." She chuckled a little, then turned wistful. "I think my first was this one girl I had a crush on when I was, like, 11...? I can't remember her name now. But one day I just decided to tell her that I liked her, and we would go around saying we were girlfriends - y'know, like how kids do when they hear about relationships for the first time and try to be just like the older kids." She shook her head. "I think we kissed, like, once? But we 'broke up' within a week. It was just never meant to last, I guess." She said the last part overdramatically, making Gumi giggle ever so slightly.

"That's...a bit reassuring," Gumi admitted. "I'm glad you at least knew you liked girls from the very beginning. I wish I had known sooner..." She trailed off, her eyes absentmindedly wandering toward the window. The sun was setting, casting a faint orange glow into the dimly-lit living room.

Lily felt her heart flutter in her chest as she took in the sight of her girlfriend shining so brilliantly in the small light. "If it helps, I don't think your first kiss was 'wasted,'" she said, rubbing one of Gumi's shoulders. "It may not have been the greatest, but it did help you realize you didn't like boys."

"I know, but..." Gumi paused, trying to articulate her thoughts properly. "I just wish it was with someone better. I...I've always admired you for being so sure about your identity so early on."

Lily waved a hand dismissively. "Some people find out later than others, and that's okay. Doesn't make 'em any less valid." Now it was her turn to look out the window. "To be honest, I used to suspect it - not because it was obvious or anything, but just because of how you would react whenever it came up. I thought I was just reaching and bein' desperate 'cause I wanted you to like me the way I liked you." Gently, she turned Gumi's head to face her, meeting her eyes with a tenderness reserved only for her. "Honestly, I think _our_ first kiss is more important than all that other shit. We're both happy - really happy - and that's what matters."

Gumi smiled. "I guess you're right..." she murmured, pressing her forehead against Lily's. "Maybe it's not the _first_ first kiss that matters. Maybe it's the first one that makes you realize you're in love."

Lily giggled. "That's so dorky, babe."

"Oh, shut up!" Gumi laughed, pressing her lips to Lily's between chuckles. "You said it yourself - we're happy. That's what's important."

"Yeah..." Lily's eyes sparkled with warmth, and she kiss Gumi again, and again, and again. "We're happy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i literally forgot abt this prompt until aimee reminded me of it KLASJDLKASJF i was like "shit. Oh Well ill figure smth out" and im happy w the result uwu


	9. Thirdwheeling

Lily and Gumi didn't mind Miku tagging along on their dates. It was always a pleasure to have her around, and they wouldn't have met if it wasn't for her, so whenever she suggested that the three of them get together for lunch on Saturday, Lily and Gumi were happy to oblige.

So far, everything was going well; Miku was as talkative as ever, but she thankfully didn't mind that Lily and Gumi were heavy on the public displays of affection. In fact, she seemed to find it adorable, and was always gushing over them whenever they did something cute together.

"You two are so sweet!" she cooed. "You've only been dating for two months and you're already this close! I hope I get to be in a relationship like that someday!"

Gumi and Lily shot knowing glances at each other. They were both thinking of their friend Rin and Miku's obvious crush on her, but they didn't say anything. Instead, they simply smiled and squeezed each other's hands.

"Aw, don't sweat it, Meeks. You're a real sweetheart - there are plenty of people who would go for someone like you." Lily raised her eyebrows playfully. "Why, anyone in particular got your attention?" Gumi rolled her eyes, prompting Lily to giggle.

Miku waved her hands, trying to hide the blush on her face. "Oh, no, just speaking hypothetically!" she assured them, but it was evident from the look on her face that she was indeed thinking of someone in particular. "I was just wondering, um...what's it like? Being in a relationship?"

Gumi hummed in thought, leaning against Lily's shoulder. "Well, it depends on who you're with, but..." She planted a kiss on Lily's cheek. "In the case of me and Lily, it's much better than any of the other people we've been with before. You just have to find the right person - someone who understands you, someone who you can trust, someone who's fun to be around..."

Lily beamed proudly and wrapped her arm around Gumi. "And most importantly, someone who's great at kissing." She pulled Gumi in for a quick smooch, causing her to blush brightly. "For real, though, bein' friends beforehand helps a lot. That way you can really get to know somebody and develop feelings for 'em naturally."

"I see!" Miku nodded. "So, hypothetically, if I had a crush on one of my friends - which, again, is completely hypothetical - how would I know if sh- if they liked me back?"

Lily and Gumi chuckled. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, if y'know what I mean," Lily said. "Like I said, plenty of people would go for someone like you, and I'm pretty sure whoever you're thinkin' of right now is one of those people."

Miku laughed nervously, twiddling with her hair. "Ahaha, whaaat? I'm not thinking of anyone! This is a hypothetical situation, remember?"

Gumi giggled and nodded. "Of course, of course."

Eventually, the conversation moved toward other things, and before long it was time to go home. As the couple waved their goodbyes to Miku, Lily leaned in to Gumi's ear and whispered, "Do you think she'll confess to Rin after this?"

Gumi rolled her eyes and smacked her girlfriend's shoulder teasingly. "Oh, knock it off," she scolded. "Besides, we both know Rin's gonna be the one to confess first."

Lily gasped. "Whaaat? No way, Rin's too stubborn. It'll totally be Miku."

"Are you kidding? Miku's too shy! Rin will do it."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

They went back and forth for a while, laughing and swinging their hands as they walked back toward Gumi's house. Going out with just Miku was fun, but they hoped that someday they could all go out on a double date - the two of them, plus Miku and Rin.

Oh, well. They were patient. As long as they had each other, they could wait as long as it took for their friends to confess their obvious love for one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *in the voice of bow from she ra* best friend squad!!! hooray!!!
> 
> also yes i had to sneak some mikurin in here bc fuck you its MY story and I get to imply the ships
> 
> and who knows.......it might be relevant for later...... ;)


	10. Flustered

Gumi got flustered very easily.

It didn't take much to get her cheeks burning red. Even the slightest compliment was met with an embarrassed giggle and a sweet, "Th-thank you!". Lily knew this and took advantage of it whenever she could, always showering her girlfriend in compliments whenever they were sharing an intimate moment together.

"You're so cute!" she said cheerfully, pulling Gumi in for a warm embrace. "And soft, and warm, and snuggly...you're, like, the perfect snuggle bunny."

Gumi squeaked and covered her face with her hands. She never knew what else to say whenever Lily complimented her other than "thanks" and "I love you." She wanted to return the favor, but she could never muster up the strength to say something. This time, however, she was determined to show Lily how much she cared, even if it was difficult to get out behind her embarrassment.

"Oh yeah? W-well, you're...really amazing!" she stammered, her voice somewhat muffled by her hands.

Lily gave her a kiss on the side of her head. "Yeah, but you're perfect."

"Well, you're...! You're..." Gumi spluttered, trying to think of the right word. "You're really...handsome!"

Lily froze, the faintest trace of red lighting her cheeks. "I'm...what?"

Gumi didn't seem to notice her girlfriend's piqued interest. "You're really handsome! And you're really strong and brave and charming and dashing!" The words came out in a rush, but she felt herself get more confident with each one. She peeked out from behind her hands and, much to her surprise, saw Lily turning away, a bright blush evidently lighting up her face.

"I...uh...y-you're..." Lily tried to get a proper sentence out, but her mind was whirling with a strange feeling. It wasn't bad - far from it. Was this what being flustered felt like? _No, no, Lily Masuda doesn't get flustered!_ she told herself, but she knew deep down inside that she was wrong. But on top of being flustered, she also felt...really proud of herself?

"Lily?" Gumi spoke up, tilting her head in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine!" Lily assured her, laughing a bit. "It's just, uh...for some reason, when you said those things, I felt really, like...validated, somehow?" She waved her hand vaguely, then sighed. "I dunno how to explain it."

Gumi hummed in thought. "Is it because the compliments I gave you were more...I don't want to say 'masculine,' but..." She trailed off, unsure what to say, but Lily understood.

"I think so." She nodded, still feeling butterflies in her stomach. "I guess it's just because I've always liked being seen as strong and tough. Like, I like bein' called 'cute' and all, but bein' called things like 'handsome'...I dunno, it just makes me feel really good about myself. Like I've succeeded at something." Succeeded at what? Lily didn't know. All she knew was that she liked being thought of that way, and that was good enough for her.

"I understand. You have always been a big tomboy." Gumi paused to give her a quick kiss. "And you're really valiant and noble...kind of like a prince." This time, it was Lily's turn to cover her face and squeak. Gumi giggled, having not seen this side of her girlfriend before. "My brave, strong, handsome prince," she whispered, wrapping her arms around Lily and giving her a light squeeze.

Lily was still unused to being so flustered, but she definitely liked it. She still didn't know why being thought of as masculine made her feel so happy, but whatever. She'd have time to figure it out. For now, she had a wonderful girlfriend by her side, and she intended to make the most of it...even if it meant turning into a blushing mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is another callout for my gf bc whenever she calls me by more "masculine" names/compliments my gender euphoria goes thru the ROOF i love her so much!!!!!!


	11. Rest

"Gumi...have you been sleeping?"

It took Gumi a moment to register the question. It was difficult for her to even look Lily in the eye; all she wanted to do was collapse and fall asleep.

"Uh, yeah..." she replied, barely stifling a yawn.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Lemme rephrase that. Have you been sleeping _enough?_ "

"Oh. _Oh._ " That seemed to wake Gumi up a bit. _Had_ she been getting enough sleep? ...No, no she hadn't. These past few weeks, she had been staying up incredibly late in the hopes of finishing her assignments early. This sounded good in theory, but at this point, it had become somewhat of an addiction for her. At first, she was simply finishing assignments that were due later in the week - then, she started doing the ones that were due next week, then the week after that, and-

"Goom?" Lily waved a hand in front of Gumi's face, snapping her out of her train of thought. "You okay, dude?"

This, at least, caused Gumi to chuckle a bit. Only Lily would call her "dude" romantically. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I've just...been staying up really late to finish some assignments, that's all."

"What assignments?"

Gumi looked over at her bedside desk and located her planner. She picked it up and handed it to Lily. "These," she said. "I like to get things done early so I don't have to worry about them later."

Lily scanned the little book, eyes widening. "Gumi! Some of these aren't due until _next month!_ " She met Gumi's gaze in shock. "You don't have to worry about 'em for a long time! Why are you doin' this?"

"Because..." _Because it's what's expected of me. Because I have to be a good student. Because I'll let my parents down if I fail._ "Because it's just...something to do, I guess." She rubbed the back of her head nervously. She wasn't lying; a lot of her free time was spent doing work just because it was something that was available to her. But she didn't feel like telling Lily the whole story now. Now, she was tired. Now, she wanted to rest.

Lily sighed. "Well, obviously, it's takin' up time you should be usin' to sleep. Seriously, babe, if you keep this up, you might be too tired to pay attention in class." She tossed the planner lightly back onto the desk, looking more serious than Gumi had seen her look in a while. "I love you, Gumi. I don't want you to push yourself just 'cause you feel like you have to." She stepped closer to Gumi, tilted her head up, and planted a light kiss on her lips. It didn't last long, but Gumi found herself wishing it did. Kissing Lily was always so relaxing, she found herself wanting to just melt into it and never have to worry about anything ever again.

"I'm...I'm sorry," Gumi murmured, and she really, truly meant it. "I guess I just...let my responsibilities get to my head sometimes. Sometimes when I'm working, I don't realize how much time has gone by."

Lily gave her another kiss, this time on the head. "Don't be sorry, sweetheart." She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, enveloping her in a calming embrace. "How about this: why don't ya set an alarm for yourself? That way, you'll know when it's gettin' late."

An alarm? Gumi had to admit, that sounded like a good idea. She responded well to schedules, and having an alarm go off was a good way to simulate one. She nodded, still holding Lily tightly. "Yeah, that...that's a great idea, Lily. Thank you." She suddenly found herself burying her face into Lily's shoulder. "Thank you so, so much. I love you...I'm sorry I always make you worry about me."

Lily smiled. "Hey, don't worry about it. You're always havin' to pick up after my reckless ass, I should look after yours." She giggled and whispered, "And lemme just say, it's really, _really_ nice."

Gumi rolled her eyes and let go. "Shut up," she teased, "if I wasn't so exhausted right now, I'd have slapped you for that."

"Kinky," Lily said, causing the two of them to laugh. Without warning, Gumi practically flew into Lily's arms, and the two of them fell onto the bed, giggling like idiots, kissing each other again and again and again.

Finally, Gumi let out a yawn, and she settled into a more comfortable position, still wrapped in Lily's embrace. "I love you," she whispered, her eyelids getting heavy.

"I love you, too, babe," Lily responded. "Just relax and get some rest, okay?"

Gumi didn't need to be told twice. The softness of the bed combined with the warmth of her girlfriend's arms was enough to get her to fall asleep almost instantly, safe and secure with Lily beside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me writing a story about rest when im consistently staying up until 2 AM and waking up @ 11:30: i dont see any issue w this :)


	12. Shopping

Ordinarily, Gumi and Lily hated shopping, but today was a special occasion.

In all their years of being together, they had developed a tradition: once a year, when they had saved up enough money, they would go on a shopping spree at their local flea market.

Flea markets, in their opinion, were better than malls or convenience stores or any other type of shopping establishment. For one, they never got as crowded. For another, they always had a much wider variety of items, since most of them were used. Because of this, it was much easier - not to mention cheaper - to get older "vintage" items here than online.

"I'm going to get a Furby!" Gumi vowed as soon as they stepped inside.

Lily laughed and ruffled her girlfriend's hair. "You get a Furby every year, babe."

Gumi smiled. "Well, yeah, but I just thought I'd let you know where I'm heading first."

Lily nodded. "Gotcha. I'm headin' for the video game stuff. Meetcha back here when we're done?"

"Yep!"

"Alright!" Lily reached for Gumi's hands and squeezed them. They both gave each other a quick kiss for good luck before separating.

"Look out, world!" Lily proclaimed as the two of them ran off in different directions. "Here comes the Wife Squad!"

* * *

By the time they met back up at the entrance, each of them had two bags full of items.

"Nice!" Gumi commented. "What'd you get?"

"Check this shit out!" Lily dug through one of her bags and began pulling stuff out to show to Gumi. "I got a fuckton of Pokémon cards, and I got this one plush of Pikachu from the 90s, when he was still fat! And look at this - there's a fuckin' video game based on the goddamn card game. Can you fuckin' believe that shit?"

Gumi giggled as she watched her girlfriend gush about all the items she got. "That's really cool! I mostly got a bunch of fabric and robot parts, but..." She reached into one of her bags, watching Lily lean over eagerly to see what was inside.

"Show me the boy! Show me the boy!" she chanted.

"Hold on, hold on!" Gumi said with a laugh. When her hand finally hit what she was searching for, she grinned. "I thought you might like this one!" With a dramatic hand motion, she pulled a yellow-and-black striped Furby from her bag, causing Lily to gasp.

"Oh my god?? He's PERFECT!" Lily snatched the toy, looking it over in awe.

Gumi chuckled as she watched Lily admire her new friend. "I thought I'd let you name it!" she put in.

Lily hugged the Furby close to her chest. "His name shall be Barrison Bumbleton!" she decreed, giving it a kiss on the top of its little head. "Also known as Barry for short!"

Gumi smiled, grateful for her girlfriend's enthusiasm. "Barry it is, then!" She picked up her bags and gave Lily a kiss on the cheek. "Come on, you can hold him in the car if you want."

"Yes!" Lily cheered, picking up her bags as well and setting Barry under her arm. Together, they walked outside and headed toward their car, ready to go home.

"Thanks for not being weirded out by my love of robot toys," Gumi said as they got inside.

"It's no problem at all, babe!" Lily replied, giving her a light kiss. "Thanks for doin' this with me. And for, y'know, lettin' me go absolutely feral over Pokémon stuff."

Gumi rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, you're feral all the time."

"True, true."

The two of them spent the entire ride home talking about their purchases, where they had gone, and who they had gotten their stuff from. To other people, flea markets might not have been the most ideal date location, but to each other, it was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i fuckin miss flea markets man that shit was neat as fuck i hate quarantine


	13. Our Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> psst.....hey......i dont normally do this but i recommend listening to this while u read this chapter uwu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVmunioY40I
> 
> also.....tw for suicide ideation

Sometimes, whenever Gumi and Lily were alone together, they would just dance.

They weren't that good at it. They'd usually always end up stepping on one another's feet at some point. But that didn't matter to them. What mattered was that they were together, and nothing could hurt them as long as they were in each other's arms.

"Don't worry," Lily said with a laugh as Gumi nearly tripped over her own feet. "And don't look down so much. Look at me, okay? You can do that."

Gumi rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Sorry for trying to make sure I don't step on you or anything!" she teased, settling into Lily's arms. "I'm just trying to be careful."

Lily waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, dance however ya want. Focus on what you're able to do, not on what you're tryin' not to do."

Gumi sighed, resting her head on Lily's shoulder. "You're right," she replied, "you're right."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, swaying back and forth. Somehow, when they were together like this, time seemed to stand still.

* * *

Sometimes, it was hard for Gumi to get up in the morning. Her alarm would go off, and though she'd be awake, she would refuse to move. Even after Lily would shift and yawn next to her, tapping her shoulder to get her attention, she still wouldn't budge.

"I don't feel like doing anything today," she murmured. "Just get up without me. I'll manage."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Now, come on, sweetheart. Don't say that. What if today turns out to be, like, the best day of your life?"

"Today's no different from any other day," Gumi whispered. "It's always the same. Get up, take meds, eat breakfast, go to work. I don't see the point anymore."

For a while, nobody spoke. Then, without warning, Gumi felt herself being lifted from the bed by Lily's strong arms. Her eyes shot open in shock, and she immediately turned around to cling to her girlfriend's shoulders.

"H-hey!" she cried, more surprised than upset. "What are you doing?!"

Lily gazed at her, smiling softly. "Come on," she said, "let's dance."

"What?"

Gumi didn't get a response, as she was suddenly set down on her feet and twirled around by Lily. She nearly fell, but Lily caught her, pulling her close until their lips nearly met. Then, Lily began to move, taking Gumi with her as she did, leading her out toward the kitchen in quick, rhythmic movements.

Gumi couldn't stop herself from laughing incredulously. "What are you doing?" she managed to say, her body moving of its own accord, matching Lily step for step.

Lily winked at her. "I'm dancin' with you! Ain't it obvious?"

As the two of them entered the kitchen, Lily suddenly dropped Gumi into a dip, sealing it with a kiss. Gumi found herself giggling into it, needing to break apart for a moment to get it all out before continuing.

"You're such a dork," she muttered when they broke apart.

Lily grinned. "But I gotcha outta bed, didn't I?"

Gumi rolled her eyes, but didn't respond. She may not have felt entirely better, but she couldn't deny that dancing with Lily had cheered her up.

"And look," Lily said, eyes darting to the clock on the wall. "Hardly any time's passed! I tell ya, time freezes whenever we do this."

* * *

Lily sat on the floor, curled into herself, as Gumi stroked her back. "I can't fuckin' do it anymore, man," she sobbed, hands gripping at her messy blonde hair. "I can't fuckin' keep this up. I can't keep pretendin' I'm super strong all the time. I can't, I can't, I can't..."

Gumi squeezed her gently, careful not to startle her. "I don't think you're pretending," she whispered. "I think you really are strong."

"No, I'm not!" Lily cried, burying her face deeper into her knees. "I'm weak, that's all I am! Someday I'm gonna get fuckin' killed, and the world's just gonna go on without me, and nothin' will change, so what's the fuckin' _point?_ " She took in a shuddering breath. "I hate this. I hate it. I wish I just didn't have to feel this way. I wish I didn't have to feel anythin' at all."

"Hey." Gumi suddenly got in front of Lily, lifting her face up to look at her sternly. "Don't talk like that." She wiped away her tears, which ultimately proved useless, as there were more coming. "Do you really want that? Do you want to not be able to feel anything? To do anything?"

Lily sniffed, avoiding Gumi's gaze. "I...I dunno. Sometimes, yeah."

Gumi planted a kiss on her nose. "But if you didn't feel anything, then what about happiness?" she asked, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's curled form. "What about love?"

Lily remained silent, letting her tears fall down on Gumi's shoulders. Hesitantly, she reciprocated the embrace, letting the sobs come out harder, losing track of everything besides her girlfriend's comforting presence.

Gumi let her cry, running her fingers through her hair. Gently, she began to sway back and forth in a soothing manner, dotting the top of Lily's head with kisses. The motion soon reminded her of something, and it wasn't long before an idea popped into her head.

"Hey," she said, pulling back to look at Lily's face. "Wanna dance?"

Lily blinked as Gumi brushed some of the messy strands of hair out of her eyes. "Wha...huh?"

Gumi stood up, offering her hand. "Come on. Let's dance. Like we always do, remember?"

Lily paused, staring at Gumi's hand for a long time. Then, she slowly reached out and grabbed it, letting her pull her to her feet. As soon as she was standing, she wrapped her arms around Gumi, clinging to her tightly. Gumi didn't say anything. She simply put a hand on Lily's shoulder and another on her waist, gently moving around the living room with her.

"If you couldn't do anything at all, we wouldn't be able to do this," she whispered. She kissed Lily's neck, feeling how warm she was. "There are happy times, and there are sad times. But everything passes."

Lily had her eyes closed, so she was essentially moving on autopilot, but she didn't care. All she really needed to focus on was the sound of Gumi's voice and the way she was moving. It would be okay. Everything would be okay as long as they were together.

"I still feel like shit," she murmured, though she didn't sound as upset as before.

Gumi smiled softly into Lily's skin. "I know. But at least you're not lying to yourself about it." She pulled away to look Lily in the eyes. "There are lots of people who lie about how they really feel. Being honest about it is the first step toward making it better."

"But how do we make it better?" Lily asked.

Gumi shrugged. "I wish I knew." She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Lily's. "But I do know one thing: we have each other."

Lily closed her eyes again. A familiar warmth was starting to creep into her chest. She decided feeling emotions wasn't so bad if it meant getting to feel like this whenever she was with Gumi.

Time would continue to pass. But when they were together, time stood still. The only thing they could do was savor it until it started moving again.

"I love you," Lily said, brushing her nose against Gumi's.

"I love you, too," Gumi responded, kissing her lightly on the lips.

And with that, they continued their Over-the-Time Dance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i kinda cheated w this prompt bc.....yknow......theyre already vocaloids......but over the time dance is the PERFECT honeycarrot theme like aside from the fact that its both of em singing the lyrics just also fit them really well.......stan over the time dance or perish by my hand *knife emoji*


	14. Stargazing

Whenever they were far away from one another, they found themselves staring at the stars.

It was kind of cheesy, really, but they took comfort in knowing that they were both looking at the same sky. It helped that the way the stars glittered in the night sky reminded them of each other's eyes, glowing with adoration whenever they were together.

Sometimes it hurt not being by each other's side. They couldn't help but worry - Lily would worry about Gumi and Ryuto and how they were handling things at home, and Gumi would worry about whether Lily got home safely and was unharmed. Somehow, feeling like they were looking at the stars together dissuaded those worries; it reassured them that the other was safe.

Someday, they hoped, they would be able to look at the stars together every night - just the two of them, lying in the grass side by side and pointing out what they thought they saw in the sky. And while they couldn't do that just yet, they knew their time was coming. They just had to hold out just a little bit longer, and soon...

Lily sighed dreamily, closing the curtains of her bedroom window. "Nini, Goom," she whispered to the emptiness of her room. "I love you."

And somewhere farther away, in her own room, Gumi felt loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ik there was already a prompt like this last year but listen. that just means i get to subvert it/expand on it in Fun And Cool New Ways


	15. Rainy Day

"There had better be a good explanation for this."

Lily and Ryuto glanced at one another. The two of them were soaking wet from head to toe, dripping water all over the living room floor. Gumi stared at them both harshly, arms crossed and waiting for one of them to speak up.

"Well, um..." Ryuto began, not looking up at his sister, "we were just playing, and then it started to rain."

"And why didn't you come back inside?" Gumi asked, still not satisfied.

Ryuto paused for a moment before pointing up at Lily. "She said that we could stay out just a little bit longer as long as the rain didn't get heavy."

" _Dude!_ " Lily cried, shooting Ryuto a look of betrayal. She glanced up at Gumi, who had turned her attention toward her and was fixing her with a burning gaze.

"Well, it seems really heavy to me right now," Gumi remarked, gesturing toward the window. The rain was coming down in thick, heavy droplets, trickling down the glass and no doubt making a puddle below.

"Yeah, y'see, the thing is..." Lily trailed off, trying to think of a way to explain herself. "We, uh, were _goin'_ to come back in, but...it was just so hot outside, and the rain was so cool, so we thought-"

Gumi sighed, holding up a hand to stop her. "Okay, okay, I get it." She looked back and forth between the two of them, letting them know that, although their explanation was accepted, they still weren't forgiven. "Just...stay here while I go get some towels, and when you're all dried off, I'll decide what to do with you." She went to walk away, but paused briefly to point at Lily. "And you're not allowed to be alone with Ryuto until further notice."

Lily shrugged. "That's fair."

Gumi shook her head and walked away, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling once she was out of sight. Her girlfriend could be such a bad influence on her brother, but...

She would have been lying if she said it wasn't cute to watch them play together out in the rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i always think abt spending rainy days w my gf.......i wanna hold her and snuggle her while we listen to the rain pour outside!!!!!!


	16. Superpowers

"And _where_ is this asshole supposed to be?" Lily asked, fluttering through the sky with her bug-like wings flapping noisily behind her.

Gumi sighed, hovering alongside her in her mech suit. "In the town square. He's holding a bunch of citizens captive and demands that you come and rescue them, 'if you dare.'"

"Ah, yes, of course. 'Cause everyone knows the bad guy always wins whenever he calls his enemy over for a challenge. That's how it always works." She rolled her eyes behind her large, high-tech goggles, scanning the area below for any sign of the villain they were supposed to fight. "Seriously, is this guy a masochist or somethin'? Why invite the person who can kick your ass?"

Gumi frowned. "He's probably setting up some kind of trap for you. Be careful."

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry. I've got this." She gasped when her goggles caught sight of someone on the ground wielding a large sword, holding up her hand to stop Gumi. "Holy shit, it's him! I think I found him!"

Gumi nodded, pressing a button on her chest. "Right! Getting ready for descent in five...four..."

Lily groaned and wrapped an arm around Gumi's waist. "No time for that now, carrot cake! Let's kick some bishounen ass!" She zoomed down lightning-fast, pulling a screaming Gumi with her. As she headed toward the ground, however, she suddenly realized that she had no idea how to land properly at the speed she was going, resulting in both of them crashing into the pavement. A large crater formed around them as the result of their fall, and Lily hoped she hadn't hurt any civilians. Thankfully, she didn't, because civilians are somehow always nonexistent whenever things get blown up in superhero movies.

"Well, well, well!" said a familiar voice from above their crash site. "If it isn't the Stinger and her little girlfriend, Neogen! Nice of you to drop in!"

The two of them grunted as they got up, with Lily glaring at the purple-haired man. "Dude, seriously? That's, like, the oldest quip in the book. Where did you learn to talk like that, 1960s Joker?"

Gumi stepped closer, holding a hand in front of Lily. "That doesn't matter. We're here to stop you, Samurai Gack!"

"Of course, of course!" Gack replied, leaning on his giant sword. "That's just what I anticipated. Luckily, I've learned a few new tricks that I think you'll find quite... _shocking! Ahahahaha!_ " He waved his sword, and it began to glow and crackle with electricity. "Or perhaps you'd like something a bit more... _spicy?_ " He waved it again, and this time it lit on fire. "Or maybe you- HEY!"

He was interrupted by Lily punching him in the face, sending him stumbling backward. "We get it, okay?!" she said, annoyed. "Your sword's got cool powers. God, if I wanted to listen to villains make terrible puns, I would have been watchin' a 4Kids anime."

Gack rubbed the spot where he had been hit, glaring at Lily scornfully. "I don't know what that means, but I do know this: with my new powers, I will defeat you once and for all!""

"That's what you think, Samurai!" Gumi cried. She pushed another button, this time on her arm, and soon her suit began to transform...slowly...very...very...slowly...

Gack and Lily watched the transformation sequence unfold in silence. Lily coughed awkwardly, nudging him in the ribs. "It's totally gonna transform into, like, a kickass mecha soon. Just wait for it."

Gack sighed. "Well, while we're waiting, the least I can do is tell you my tragic backstory." He closed his eyes, most likely visualizing some kind of flashback that Lily couldn't see. "When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city to see a marching band. He said-" He was once again cut off by Lily punching him in the face. "OW!! What the hell, dude?! I was monologuing!"

Lily narrowed her eyes. "We don't have time for that, Cloud Strife! This is supposed to be a short oneshot!" She got into a fighting stance, her wings carrying her off the ground. "C'mon, let's do this!"

Gack growled, raising his sword. "Fine! If you're so eager to be destroyed, don't let me stop you!" He swung his sword, causing a burst of flame to shoot forward in Lily's direction. She yelped and flew out of the way, making a dive for Gack's body. He held up his blade to block her, however, forcing her to back up to avoid the flaming silver.

"Okay, so you learned Flamethrower!" Lily muttered. "Well, guess what, asshole? I know Poison Sting!" As she spoke, a compartment in the arm of her costume opened up, shooting what looked to be sharp spikes in Gack's direction. The swordsman gasped and deflected most of them with his weapon, but one of them managed to get him in the arm, causing him to wince in pain. He wasn't bleeding, but Lily knew the poison had definitely taken effect immediately; he dropped the arm to his side, holding onto his sword just one hand.

"You fool!" he cried. "A good swordsman can still fight, even with one arm!"

The two went back and forth, searching for openings and striking when necessary. Gack was right; even with one arm useless, he could still put up one hell of a fight, especially with that elemental sword helping him out. It wasn't long until Lily found herself on the ground, weakened from battle.

"Yes!" he laughed, standing over her triumphantly. "At last, my moment has come! You are defeated once and for all, Stinger! _AHAHAHAHAA!!_ " He raised his blade, ready to strike, and Lily braced herself.

Then, without warning, a giant metal foot came down, crushing the samurai immediately. Lily looked up, smiling when she saw Gumi's giant mecha had finally taken shape.

"Perfect timing, babe!" Lily called. "You saved the day!"

"I did?" Gumi looked through the window of the pod that she was sitting in at the top of the robot. She gasped when she saw Gack's sword laying on the ground next to the machine's foot. "Oh my god, did I _kill_ him?!"

"Yep!" Lily replied cheerfully. "Either that or he broke, like, every bone in his body all at once. But I'm pretty sure you can't survive that, so..."

Gumi groaned. "Seriously?! This always happens!"

Lily shrugged, flying up to the control pod and leaning on the glass. "Well, whatever. You saved my life, and that's what really matters."

Loud cheering came from below, and they looked down to see all the people who had been absent for some reason spawn in a crowd. Gumi couldn't help but smile as she looked down at them, then back up at Lily.

"Does it matter more than the fact that we saved these innocent people?" she asked teasingly.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about them." Lily held out a hand, motioning for Gumi to get out. "Shall we?"

Gumi smiled and pressed a button on the control pad, causing the glass to lift. Carefully, she stepped out of the mech and got into Lily's arms, planting a kiss on her cheek. And with that, the two of them descended - gently, this time - to meet the people they had saved together, with the power of love...

...And violence. Incredible, senseless violence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i may not talk abt it but deadpool is a HUGE inspiration for how i write lily and i felt like now was my time to SHINE and channel the Deadpool Spirit
> 
> also yes gumis superhero name literally comes from neon genesis evangelion bc shes actually a huge evangelion fan. lily thinks shes a nerd but deep down she thinks its cooler than "the stinger"


	17. Double Date

Today was the day. The day they had all been waiting for. The day that would make history in each of their minds.

" _MOTHERFUCKIN' DOUBLE DATE DAAAAYYY!_ " Rin yelled in her shrill voice. "Who's fuckin' excited??? I know I'M fuckin' excited!!! This is gonna be fuckin' AWESOME!!"

"Jesus," Lily said with a laugh, "and I thought _I_ said 'fuck' a lot."

It was kind of funny, Gumi reflected, that such a foul-mouthed, hyperactive girl like Rin would be dating a sweet, innocent girl like Miku. In fact, much to Lily and Gumi's surprise, Miku took no issue whatsoever with her girlfriend swearing, most likely because she had Love Bias. No matter; they were a perfect pair, and they were all excited to go on what would surely be an epic double date at the arcade.

"Dude, I'm gonna win so many fuckin' prizes, bro," Rin said, holding both of Miku's hands. "And I'm gonna give 'em all to you!"

"My hero!" Miku gushed, giving Rin a quick kiss on the cheek. Rin's face turned bright red, but she puffed out her chest in pride, clearly determined to win in the hopes of getting more kisses. Of course, Gumi thought, Miku would probably keep kissing her whether she won or lost.

Lily wrapped an arm around Gumi as they headed into the arcade. "That's a real nice sentiment, Rin, but I think me and Gumi are gonna be the real winners here. Especially me."

Gumi raised an eyebrow at her teasingly. "If I remember correctly, you lost our little bet over who would confess first."

"Wait, what?! You guys bet on us?!" Rin cried.

"Yeah, Lily said you were too 'stubborn' to confess to Miku," Gumi replied with a smirk. Lily cleared her throat and looked away, trying to appear as innocent as possible.

Miku giggled, squeezing Rin's hand. "I also wondered whether you were going to be the one to do it. It's okay."

"Yeah?" Rin asked, standing on her toes to seem taller. "Well, I'll bet that me and Miku can totally destroy you guys at all these arcade games!! Whaddaya think of that?!"

Lily and Gumi gasped overdramatically, turning to face the other couple. "You did _not_ just say that!" Lily cried, feigning offense.

Miku linked her arm through Rin's. "I don't mind a competition! What do you guys think?"

Lily and Gumi looked at each other and nodded. "You're on!" they said in unison.

* * *

This was it. The final confrontation. Gumi and Rin were locked in heavy combat, their girlfriends cheering them on behind them. They were playing a fighting game, Gumi's specialty, and it was pretty obvious that she was going to win, but that didn't stop Rin from trying.

"Yaay, Rin! You can do it! I believe in you!" Miku cheered, clapping her hands.

Lily's cheers were a bit more...intense. "Get her ass, Gumi!! Smash those fuckin' buttons, bitch!! Get her, get her, OOH, comin' in with that block!! Uppercut, uppercut - NICE!"

While Rin's brows were furrowed in deep concentration, Gumi looked like she was having the easiest time of her life. She had mastered pretty much every fighting game there was, and she was not the type of person to let other people win.

Sure enough, her character unleashed her ultimate attack, finishing Rin off once and for all. Lily let out a loud "YES!" in unison with Rin's "NO!", causing everybody in the arcade to glance over at them. As soon as Gumi finished, Lily wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug, while Miku went over to give Rin another kiss on the cheek.

"You did great, sweetie!" Miku said, planting a kiss on Rin's nose as well. "I love you!"

As pissed as she was about losing, having Miku comfort her was enough to cause Rin's anger to evaporate as she became flustered instead. "I love you, too!" she stammered, covering her face with her hands.

"And I love _you!_ " Lily cried, kissing Gumi on the lips. "You're the fuckin' best, babe! C'mon, let's go pick out our prizes!"

Gumi chuckled as she was released, ignoring the pain in her ribs. "We already have plenty of prizes, Lily, and so do they. Don't you think this is enough?"

"Enough? There's never enough prizes to be won at an arcade!" Lily shook her head. "Plus, you know I've been eyeballing that stuffed Pikachu with the little Team Rocket costume. Rin's got one, so now it's my turn."

Gumi rolled her eyes, though she was clearly smiling. "Oh, alright, alright."

As the four of them left the arcade, they noticed that the sky outside was much darker than it had been when they entered. "Damn," Lily remarked, "we must have been playin' for a long time!"

"Well, we did play every game in the arcade!" Miku said, carrying a bundle of stuffed animals in her arms. "Also, you challenged me to a DDR rematch, like, eight times."

"Whatever!" Lily groaned, nudging her. "I could knock over your little prize supply right now, y'know!"

The four of them laughed, and they all realized with a pang that they were admittedly sad to depart. None of them had been on a double date before, and it was incredibly fun. They decided that they all had to do it again sometime.

"Wanna do this again next weekend?" Gumi asked. "Different arcade? I know another neat one a bit farther away. It's got great prizes most of the time."

"I'd like that!" Miku replied. "Rin?"

"Hell yeah! That'd be awesome!" Rin responded, practically bouncing in place. She had to stop, however, when her own bundle of stuffed animals threatened to spill out from her arms. "But let's discuss time and stuff later. I'm fuckin' tired, man."

"Rin? Tired?" Lily gasped. "Holy shit, Goom, we just witnessed a miracle!"

Rin stuck out her tongue. "Oh, whatever, bitch! I'll be back next time, and then you're gonna pay for beating us at that last game!"

"Lookin' forward to it!"

The couples parted ways, saying their farewells over their shoulders. Gumi and Lily leaned into each other, unable to hold hands due to all their prizes, cherishing each other's warmth instead. One thing was for certain: they were not going to let Miku and Rin get their payback next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i originally wanted to do a double date w yuuhio but i actually have a whole story idea for that so i decided to go w a mikurin double date!!!! lesbian/bisexual solidarity (bc gumi and lily.....are lesbians.....and miku and rin.....are bi)


	18. Holding Hands

Their first time holding hands in public was terrifying.

Lily seemed perfectly okay with it. She held Gumi's hand gently as they walked to school together, as if she had done it a million times before. In fact, she probably had - at least, with girls who weren't Gumi.

Gumi, meanwhile, was scared out of her mind. She couldn't help but worry about people staring at her, judging her, making snide comments about them to one another as they passed. And yet, despite this, she couldn't bring herself to let go of Lily's hand; rather, she was clenching it tightly, as if it was the only thing keeping her stable.

"Relax," Lily whispered as they approached the school courtyard. "Don't pay attention to anyone. Just pay attention to me."

Gumi swallowed thickly as she took in her girlfriend's words. _Focus on her. Focus on her. Focus on her._

But it was hard to as they stepped through the arch marking the entrance to the courtyard, which was filled with hundreds of students, already laughing and gossiping. Gumi knew, deep down, that there was a 90% chance that they weren't laughing at her, but the thought still scared her. She hoped her hand wasn't too sweaty as she gripped Lily's hand even harder.

"It's okay," Lily reassured her, "look, see? They aren't even paying attention to us. Everything's fine."

But was it? Was it? Gumi's heart raced. Everywhere she turned, she saw people, and every time somebody seemed to turn their head toward her, she looked away. But they were everywhere, inescapable, all looking at her and laughing at her and calling her names and and and-

"Hey." She felt a soft hand under her chin as Lily turned her head so that they were gazing into each other's eyes. "Focus on me, remember?" she said gently. "Don't look at them. They're not important."

Gumi relaxed as she stared into Lily's calm blue eyes. Somehow, just looking at them was enough to enamor her, no matter the situation. She felt her grip on her hand loosen slightly, but she didn't let go.

"Hey, guys!" a voice called. Gumi and Lily turned, happy to see a familiar face among the crowd. Miku ran up to them, Rin and Len not far behind. "How are you today?"

They stayed there for a while, the five of them, talking like they did every day. The only difference was the way that Gumi and Lily's hands were intertwined, but nobody seemed bothered by it. Gumi felt her courage grow, and she suddenly felt more comfortable holding her hand than she had when they arrived.

Soon, the bell rang, and it was time to go inside and start the day. Gumi and Lily walked up to the front doors, still holding hands, and Gumi noticed with a jolt that it felt more natural now that she had gotten used to it.

Of course, they had to part eventually. As they changed into their indoor shoes, their hands naturally released each other. Gumi didn't mind at first, but when it was time to go to their first classes, she felt a pang of sadness at the thought of parting from Lily's warm hold.

"It's okay!" Lily reassured her. "Here, I got an idea. My parents used to do this with me when I was a kid - don't tell nobody, though."

Gumi's heart fluttered as Lily pressed a kiss into her palm, closing her fingers around it.

"There," she said, "now ya got somethin' to keep with ya until we see each other again. How's that sound?"

Gumi couldn't stop herself from chuckling at just how cheesy it was. She couldn't deny that it made her feel a little better, though. "You're a dork," she murmured, giving her a light kiss on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

And with that, they parted, the feeling of Lily's hand - and lips - lingering in Gumi's palm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two trucks. holding hands. two trucks. holding hands


	19. Spellbound

Gumi liked to grow flowers with her magic. She liked to create elaborate displays that stretched far and wide, encompassing the meadows and the fields and the woods that she lived in. Lily loved to admire them, especially from above; with her wings, she could see what the whole place looked like covered in colorful, blossoming flowers.

Sometimes, Gumi would make displays especially for her. Lily would come back from a long quest to see a trail of beautiful black and yellow flowers leading her home, or a giant display that spelled out her name when seen from above.

"It's hard to get those right," Gumi admitted with a laugh. "I can't see if they look right from down here."

Lily gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank goddess you have a killer sense of style. I think that's how you always make 'em look so perfect."

Lily tried her hardest to do romantic things like that for Gumi as well. Sometimes, she would soar through the clouds, reshaping them to look like the two of them. Other times, she would take Gumi on a fly-by through the forest - low to the ground, of course, because she didn't want to accidentally drop her and kill her. _That_ wouldn't be very romantic at all.

Whenever Lily did this, Gumi would always settle comfortably into her arms, safe and secure in her grip. Though Lily would never admit it, it felt good to be trusted in such a way. Nobody had ever trusted her like this before, which had lead her to wonder if anyone ever would. Then, she met Gumi, and she found that she was not only capable of being trusted, but trusting other people as well.

"Hold on," Gumi said one day as they were soaring low over the forest floor. "I want to try something."

Lily raised her eyebrows as Gumi closed her eyes, apparently trying to concentrate on something. Then, to her amazement, flowers started to bloom beneath them, even though Gumi was not touching the ground.

"Whoa!" Lily gasped. "How did you do that? Don't you have to, like, make contact with the soil in order to make shit grow?"

"If I focus really hard, I can do it without making physical contact!" Gumi explained, seeming incredibly proud of herself. "Wanna see some more?"

"Hell yeah!" Lily replied, her wings flapping faster. "If you can keep up, that is!"

She soared through the woods, picking up speed, and Gumi laughed as flowers bloomed underneath them. They grew fast, to the point that Lily could feel them brushing against her legs as she flew above them.

They flew for a long time, with Lily doing the occasional loop-de-loop or barrel roll, causing Gumi to shriek in surprise. Their grip on each other never loosened, however, and by the time they descended, they were both giggling uncontrollably.

"Warn me next time you're about to do one of those fancy tricks!" Gumi scolded playfully.

Lily shrugged. "But it's more fun when you're not expecting it!"

The two of them stood there like that for a while longer, laughing and talking about their day, until Lily noticed that more flowers were blooming all around Gumi. She smiled; that usually happened whenever she was happy.

"Oh!" Gumi gasped, noticing the plants. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was doing it again!" Gently, she reached down and plucked one of the flowers, resting it gently behind Lily's ear. "But...here's a little something for being such a wonderful girlfriend."

Lily blushed, reaching up to touch it. She realized with a jolt that it was a _lily,_ of all things, that Gumi had given her. She looked down, and sure enough, more lilies were blossoming beneath her.

"You dork! Did you do this on purpose?" Lily couldn't stop herself from snickering at the dumb joke.

"Maaaybe. Maybe not."

Lily rolled her eyes and pulled Gumi in for a kiss, loving the way her lips tasted as sweet as the flowers smelled. When they pulled away, looking into each other's eyes, Lily suddenly became acutely aware of her own wings flapping furiously behind her.

"Oh, knock it off," she muttered, swatting them lightly. Gumi couldn't stop herself from smirking at the sight.

"You good, or do you need some assistance?" she asked teasingly.

"Dude, shut up! You got a bunch of fuckin' plants growin' around you right now!"

Gumi sighed. "I always have plants growing around me, Lily. That's kind of my thing."

Lily stuck out her tongue. "Well, flying is my thing, so there."

The two continued their conversation all the way home, with Lily electing to walk instead of fly for once. After all, she thought, since she was slower on the ground, she could savor this moment with Gumi even longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the logical side of my brain: gumi would have ferrokinesis bc in the main au she loves robots and technology
> 
> monky brain: or.....plants......bc.......Green......


	20. Surprise Gift

Lily knew that it wasn't Gumi's birthday yet, but she just couldn't resist.

She was browsing a random auction site one early day in June when she saw it. As soon as she laid eyes upon it, she thought, _Oh, Gumi would_ love _this._ Immediately, she clicked on it and scrolled through the listing, checking to see when it would arrive. Apparently, it was coming from someplace decently far, as it wouldn't arrive until June 20th. That was okay; it was still before Gumi's birthday. Lily grinned to herself, imagining Gumi's reaction, and placed her bid.

Now, weeks after she had won the auction, the package had finally arrived. Lily grinned widely as she picked up the small package. Despite its size, she knew its contents would definitely put a smile on Gumi's face.

As soon as she had the present wrapped, however, she knew that she couldn't wait until June 26th. She had already waited so long for the package to arrive, and the thought of waiting even longer was just too much to bear. Besides, Gumi would be expecting her to give her a gift on her birthday, so giving it to her early would be even more of a surprise!

So that was how Lily ended up at Gumi's doorstep, completely unexpected, on a warm Saturday evening.

"...Lily?" Gumi asked, clearly taken aback by her girlfriend's presence. "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh..." Lily paused. She suddenly felt somewhat timid. She wasn't used to the whole "gift-giving" thing. "I know it's your birthday in a couple days, so I got you this." She presented the box to Gumi, who stared at it with wide eyes.

"Oh my god!" she gasped, gently taking it in her hands. "What is it?"

This time, Lily couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Why don't you open it and find out?"

Gumi nodded, taking a few steps back to let Lily in. Lily watched eagerly as Gumi placed the present on the counter and began carefully unwrapping it, making sure not to tear at the paper.

She needed scissors to open the package underneath, but soon it was open. Gumi peered through the cardboard and pressed a hand to her mouth when she saw what was inside.

"Do you like it?" Lily asked somewhat nervously. "They all came in a bundle, so I thought I'd make the most of the deal, y'know? I think they're factory stock from an old employee or something, so they're all brand new-"

"I _love_ them!" Gumi cried, wrapping her arms around Lily. "Oh my god, thank you so much!!" Her voice, while clearly overjoyed, was also a bit choked up. Lily understood; she knew how important stimming was to her, so being presented with a box full of stim toys must have been a huge deal.

"Aw, don't mention it!" Lily said, trying to hide her blush. "I just thought, y'know, since it came today, I thought I might as well give it to ya right now..."

Gumi straightened up, giving Lily a kiss on the lips. "Thank you," she repeated, turning back to the box and inspecting the contents even more thoroughly. "Oh my god, there are so many fidget cubes! And - ooh, those little squishy things!! I love those!"

Lily watched her girlfriend gush over her present, giggling to herself. It was so worth it to give it to her this early if it meant getting to see this.

"Oh, and chewing pendants! I don't chew on things a whole lot, but these will definitely be good to have around!" Suddenly, she gasped, pulling out a translucent rod that appeared to be filled with colorful glitter. "A glitter wand! I've always wanted one of those!"

Lily couldn't stop herself from ruffling Gumi's hair affectionately, planting a kiss on top of her head. "I love you so much, y'know that?"

Gumi hummed contentedly and leaned into Lily's body. "I love you, too. Thank you for being so...so amazing and supportive and perfect."

"Perfect?" Lily raised her eyebrows. "Nah, babe, that would be you."

Gumi's face turned bright red, and she buried it in Lily's chest, murmuring a soft, "I love you!"

Lily stroked her hair, a comfortable silence falling over them. The image of Gumi's excited face as she looked through the box's contents played over and over in her mind. She knew one thing for certain: she would have to get her more surprise gifts if it meant getting to see that expression again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ik its not gumis birthday yet but i felt like this was the perfect opportunity to do smth like this alskdflj
> 
> also!!!! heres some info abt gumis stims bc I Am Autism:
> 
> \- mostly stims by pacing around, usually while listening to music
> 
> \- fidgets with her hands a LOT, which is why she likes fidget cubes and squishies
> 
> \- really loves visual stims, especially really colorful stuff!!!! thats why she likes raves so much - the flashing colors are all really neat to her
> 
> \- also stims verbally, mostly by talking/singing to herself


	21. Dispute

Gumi was really, really good at Super Smash Bros.

Every time Lily played against her, she would always lose. Gumi's skills were on a professional level. Even though she mained Sheik, he seemed to have a strategy for every single character, so no matter what Lily did, she could never beat her. Even her trusty main, Samus, couldn't save her from Gumi's awesome power. For a while, Lily wondered if she would ever find a way to defeat her.

...That is, until she discovered a certain devious, underhanded tactic.

" _Stop!_ " Gumi demanded, furiously mashing buttons on her controller. "You can't do that!! That's cheating!"

"If it's cheating, then why would they put it in the game?" Lily asked innocently. She was playing as Bowser - a most unusual choice, as she rarely ever played as anyone besides Samus - and using his massive size to her advantage. She would have him pick up Gumi's character and then dive off a nearby cliff, essentially sacrificing herself and Gumi at the same time. It was incredibly satisfying...for her, at least.

"That move is banned from tournaments!" Gumi complained. "It's way too overpowered, and, and, and...!"

"And it gets the job done." Lily concluded. "All I gotta do is keep jumpin' off cliffs while holdin' you until you're down to your last stock, and then beat the shit out of you 'til I win." She punctuated her sentence by making Bowser perform another sacrificial KO.

Gumi gritted her teeth, and Lily couldn't help but snicker at how red her face was. "That's illegal!" she growled, her fingers working furiously as she tried to get away. "You would be banned forever if you tried to do that at a professional competition!"

"Well, this ain't a professional competition!" Lily replied matter-of-factly. "So I can do whatever I want."

"No, you can't!"

"Yeah, I can."

The more they argued, the more they started to focus on each other rather than the game. In fact, they had basically thrown their controllers aside at this point and were glaring at each other.

"You wanna settle this?" Lily asked. "Fine. I know just the guy who can settle this."

* * *

Yuuma was sitting in his bedroom, getting stoned and mixing tunes like he always did, when he got a sudden call from Lily. Hazily, he picked up his phone and answered it. "Hello?"

Immediately, he was met with two voices trying to talk over each other at once.

"Yuu, tell this _clown_ that I can do whatever I want-"

"Tell this _fool_ that Bowsercide is an illegal tactic-"

"Illegal to who?? The mayor?? The Prime Minister?? _God??!_ "

"You know exactly what I mean!! In tournaments-"

"We aren't in a tournament!! We're in your living room!!"

The chatter continued on and on, with Yuuma absorbing absolutely none of it. He was just kinda sitting there and vibing.

"-and what kinda name is 'Bowsercide,' anyway??! That's fuckin' stupid!"

"It's the official name for that tactic, and I'll have you know-"

Yuuma's stomach growled, and he looked at the time on his computer screen. He'd probably be having dinner soon. Stretching, he got up from his chair and went downstairs, leaving his phone on the desk. For a brief moment, he considered hanging up on them, but decided against it, figuring they'd still be going at it by the time he came back.

_Whatever,_ he thought as he left, _Gumi's probably right anyway._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was gonna make this super angsty at first but then i realized that the thing i wrote would suit a future prompt better so have smth silly instead :)
> 
> anyway this is a big fuckin fuck you to one of my friends who always spams bowsercide. fuck you dude ik youre probably not reading this but eat my nuts


	22. Angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for child neglect/abuse and homophobia/the d slur (its cut off tho)

Gumi and Lily weren't expecting any visitors, so they were surprised when they heard a loud knock on their front door.

They glanced at one another, confused. Even Ryuto, who was playing on the floor, looked up, just as taken aback as they were.

They waited for a moment in stunned silence. Then, another knock came, this one harsher than the last. Gumi flinched at the sound, causing Lily to put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll get it," she assured her, standing up and going to the door.

She opened it without looking through the peephole, which was probably the biggest mistake she could have made. As soon as she saw who was on the other side, her voice died in her throat, leaving her speechless for once in her life.

"Does Megumi Hazumune live here?" the man asked, seeming to look right past her.

"Or a Ryuto Hazumune?" said the woman, also seeming disinterested in Lily. "We heard that this is their current place of residence. They're our children, and we want to take them home."

Lily didn't know what to say. She recognized these people, of course - recognized them from the pictures she had seen - but she never thought it would take her this long to see them in person. Her mind whirled as she tried to think of what to say, but all that came out was a soft, "Uh..."

She was thankfully spared from having to speak when Gumi came up behind her, eyes wide with disbelief. "Mom?! Dad?! What are you doing here?!"

"Ah, there you are, Megumi," said the man, his cold green eyes seeming to light up slightly when he saw her. "We were looking for you. Why are you in this house? And where is Ryuto?"

Once again, Gumi and Lily looked at each other nervously, praying that Ryuto wasn't going to come over to look. Fortunately, he was rooted to the spot, though the fearful look on his face told them that he knew who was there.

"I...I live here now," Gumi responded, trying to sound firm. "This is my wife, Lily. And Ryuto...he's with us, but he's not home at the moment."

" _Wife?_ " the pair asked in unison, disgust on both of their faces.

At this, Lily started to look annoyed, but Gumi held up a hand to stop her. "Yes, my wife. We've been married for two years now, and-"

"Two years?!" the woman cried. "I don't know what's worse, the fact that you married a woman, or the fact that you didn't even consider telling us that you were getting married in the first place!"

"Would you have showed up?" Gumi snapped, her patience wearing thin.

Her mother glared at her, and her father stepped forward, anger clear on his face. "Now, Megumi, enough of this. Tell us where Ryuto is so we can take him home. We don't want him living here with you and your... _wife._ "

"What?!" Gumi cried, her heart racing. "You can't just-!"

This time, it was Lily who took charge, stepping up to meet Gumi's father. "Hey, now, buddy. You heard her. Ryuto ain't here. And even if he was, we wouldn't be givin' him up so easy."

Gumi's mother turned her gaze toward her, seeming to really notice her for the first time. "And just who do you think you are?" she growled. "You aren't part of this family. This should be none of your concern. Now, get out of the way so we can-"

Lily's arm shot out, blocking the space between her and the rest of the doorway. "No," she hissed, "this ain't your home, and this ain't your family. Get. Out."

While her parents were distracted, Gumi quickly turned around and looked at Ryuto, who was still sitting there in horror. She mouthed, "Go to your room," and he obeyed without question, trying to run away as quietly as possible.

Unfortunately, the sound reached the door, and Gumi's parents instantly tried to peer beyond Lily's arm. "What was that?" her father asked suspiciously. "Ryuto is here, isn't he?"

"No, he's not," Gumi answered, "he's at his friend's house right now. You know, where I was never allowed to go when I was his age?" She couldn't stop the bitterness from leaking into her voice. "He has a great life here. Better than the one you gave me, better than the one you could have ever given him. Hey, remember when you left us soon after he turned two? Huh?"

"Gumi-" Lily warned, but Gumi didn't stop.

"I had to find a way to take care of him all by myself. I was _ten._ " She smiled, though there was no humor in it. "Do you have any idea what that felt like?? Having to be responsible for everything when I was ten?? Only relying on money you guys sent us, too scared to tell anyone because you would always threaten to take us apart?!" There were tears in her eyes now, and she was growing more hysterical as she spoke. "And that's not even mentioning all the times you _would_ come over, once in a blue moon, just to pretend like you were interested in us and remind us that if we spoke a word to anyone, it would all be over for us. What makes you think you would be good parents now, when the only parental figures he's used to at this point are his older sister and her wife?!"

Her parents were shocked, having never heard her speak this way to them before. "Megumi-" her mother began.

"Don't fucking call me Megumi," she growled. "It's Gumi now. That's what he calls me, and that's what everyone else calls me."

Her father's eyes were glowing with fury. "We will call you whatever we want. We're your parents."

"Then why haven't you ever _acted_ like it?!" Gumi exploded, stepping forward to meet him eye-to-eye. "If you're my parents, where were you when I needed you?! When he needed you?!" Her voice broke, sadness replacing her anger. "Did you ever say 'I love you' to either of us?"

Her father scowled at her and raised his hand to strike. "Don't you talk that way to me, young lady!" he yelled. However, before he could lower his hand for the blow, he found his wrist trapped in a crushing grip. He looked up, bewildered, to see Lily holding on to his arm, fury burning in her eyes.

"Don't even fuckin' think of layin' a hand on my goddamn wife," she hissed, her voice low and threatening. "And she's not a 'young lady' anymore. She's a grown-ass adult, and you will fuckin' talk to her as such, understand?"

Gumi's father remained silent, and Lily was satisfied at the fear that was slowly starting to creep onto his face. Finally, Gumi's mother spoke up. "You don't have any right to talk to us that way. You turned our daughter into a dy-"

That did it. Lily's other hand shot out and slapped the woman across the face, sending her tumbling to the ground. "Say that again!" she demanded, still holding on tightly to Gumi's father. "Say that again, I dare ya! I fuckin' dare ya!"

As Gumi's mother sat there on the ground, rubbing the spot where she had been hit, her father spoke up, enraged. "You can't do that!"

"I just did, bitch!" Lily shot back. "And I'll do it to you, too, if I hear that word comin' outta your dirty fuckin' mouth!" She squeezed his wrist harder, emphasizing her point. Then, she felt a soft hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Gumi, a tired expression on her face.

"Let him go, Lily," she said. "It's not worth it."

Lily hesitated, the sight of her wife enough to quell her rage for a bit. Then, with a sigh, she let go of the man's arm, feeling another twinge of satisfaction when he waved his arm in an attempt to ease the pain.

"Listen," Gumi began, "I'm not afraid of you anymore. But you two have every reason to be afraid of us. I see that now." She paused, taking a deep breath. "The whole reason you told Ryuto and I not to tell anyone about you was because you were afraid of what would happen. So, how about this: if you leave us alone, we'll keep doing what we've always been doing, and we won't tell a single soul about how awful you were to us." Her gaze turned icy again. "But if you even think about coming near us, we _will_ tell, and you can bet the outcome is not going to be pretty for you."

The couple didn't say anything, though it was clear that they were terrified. Then, Gumi's mother stood up, though she didn't dare to take a step closer to them. "Megumi, sweetheart," she said, opening her arms, "you can't be serious. We're your family. We-"

Gumi held up a hand to stop her. "Call me 'Megumi' one more time and I'll call Child Services right now. They'll side with me; I'm a legal adult now, so I could totally earn the right to legal custody of Ryuto." She narrowed her eyes. "If you don't want to end up rotting in jail for the rest of your lives, I suggest you leave. You were always good at that, anyway."

For a moment, nobody spoke. Then, with one last, resentful glance at the two of them, Gumi's parents got up and went back toward their car.

"This isn't over," her father called. "We'll be back."

"And we'll be ready," Lily replied. "Now get outta here before I give you a bruise to match your wife."

That was enough to get them to speed up. Gumi and Lily watched as they got in their car and drove away, not looking back for a single second.

When they were out of sight, Gumi heaved a sigh, leaning against Lily. "Ryuto, you can come out now!" she called. "They're gone."

Slowly, footsteps came from down the hall, and Ryuto peered out into the living room. When he spoke, his voice was shaky. "Was that...was that Mom and Dad?"

Gumi nodded. "But don't worry. They're gone now. Lily and I..." She shot a grateful look at her wife, taking her hand in hers. "We told them off. I don't think they're ever coming back."

"Really?" Ryuto glanced outside, wanting to make sure they were gone for good. "Never, ever?"

"After what we just did to 'em? They'd be stupid to come back." Lily let go of Gumi's hand and wrapped an arm around her instead. "And if they do, we'll be ready, right?"

Gumi paused, looking back and forth between her wife, her brother, and the area where her parents had once parked. Then, she smiled, leaning in to Lily's embrace. "Yeah," she said, "we'll be ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOD i have been wanting to write this confrontation for SO LONG you have no idea how satisfying it was like YESSSSS GET THEIR ASSES SWEETHEARTS
> 
> also uh. yyyeaaaahh there wont be any happy prompts for a couple days sorry


	23. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for lesbophobia/the d slur and sexual harassment

Lily was always standing up for Gumi. It was no secret at this point that the two of them were in a relationship, and while they had both been bullied before, everything changed once word started to get out that they were together.

Lily, who was more experienced in dealing with bullies, didn't care too much about defending herself. None of the people who hurled insults at her were ever stupid enough to fight her physically, as even they knew that they couldn't take her one-on-one. For Gumi, however...

Well, no physical moves had been made yet, but she started getting threats, usually whenever Lily wasn't around. It was always the same group of people, whispering loudly to her in the hallways, "There goes Menacing Masuda's little bitch. Didn't know she was a dyke."

"Didn't she use to date guys before? Is she a whore, or is she just doing this for attention?"

"Probably both!"

"Hey, slut, if it's attention you want, why dontcha come over here? I bet I can show you a better time than that dyke girlfriend of yours!"

Gumi never knew what to say or do in these situations, so she tried to ignore it as best she could. Still, it was hard to keep a straight face when every word made her want to break down and sob. None of the bullying she had faced up to that point was this intense, and she feared that if she told somebody, these people would act on their threats.

Of course, Lily could tell something was up. No matter how hard Gumi tried to hide it, it was clear that something was bothering her. She had started clinging to Lily's arm a lot tighter whenever they passed certain people in the hallway, even if they hadn't said anything to her. She seemed more upset than usual every time they had to part to go to a different class, and most alarmingly of all, she wasn't eating as much whenever they had lunch together, claiming that she felt sick to her stomach. Whenever Lily suggested she should go to the nurse, Gumi would always make up some excuse like "it's not that big of a deal" or "it'll pass eventually."

But Lily wasn't stupid. She knew something deeper was going on, and she intended to find out what it was.

It wasn't exactly a secret that Lily was kind of a troublemaker, so no one would suspect anything if she was a bit late for class. This was what she told herself as she followed Gumi through the halls, lagging behind so as to not be seen. Normally, they'd both be going to separate classes at this point, but Lily was more concerned about what was going on with her girlfriend to care about being on time.

Sure enough, it didn't take long for her to find out what the problem was.

"Hey, here she comes!" sneered a voice Lily recognized as one of her old bullies. "Menacing Masuda's girl! How's that goin' for ya, honey? Done bein' a dyke yet?"

Lily clenched her fist. Gumi just kept her head low, not looking in the direction of the voices. _Why isn't she doing anything?_

"You didn't come when I asked you to meet me after school, bitch. Am I just not good enough for you? Is that it? Think you're sooo much better than me, huh?"

Lily was horrified. She peered over the people in front of her to get a better look at the people who were saying these things, spotting a group of four boys leaning against the lockers. She scowled, rage burning inside her the closer she got to them.

"You can't ignore us forever. Someday you'll learn to abandon that Masuda bitch and give up bein' a dyke. My offer's still open if you need a replacement afterwards!"

That did it. Lily shoved past all the people in front of her, marching in front of the boys and glaring down at them. "Hey," she growled, her voice low, "care to repeat what you've been sayin' to my girlfriend?"

Gumi froze, turning to look at Lily in bewilderment. The boys said nothing, their mouths wide open in shock.

"I _said,_ care to repeat that?" Lily hissed. "Or are you too chickenshit to say all that in front of me?"

"M-masuda!" one of the boys spoke up nervously. "W-we didn't mean it, honest, we were just-"

"Joking?" Lily took a step closer, making them all flinch. "'Cause I ain't laughin', and neither is she."

Gumi cleared her throat and put a hand on Lily's shoulder. "L-lily, please, it's okay-"

"Is it, now?" Lily didn't look at her. All her attention was focused on the miserable group of boys who dared to say such horrendous things to her girlfriend. "If it's really okay, then why did they stop as soon as I showed up?" She smirked, but there was no humor in it - only malice. "Don't tell me you guys are _afraid_ of me. After all, why would you harass my girlfriend if you were afraid of me? That would be really stupid."

For a while, none of the boys spoke. Satisfied with their silence, Lily continued, "Well, if you aren't afraid..." She rolled up her sleeves and cracked her knuckles. "You should be."

The boys couldn't take it anymore. They screamed and ran away, nearly tripping and stumbling into their classmates in the crowded hall. As they ran, Lily called to them, "And don't let me catch you sayin' anything like that to my girl ever again, fuckers! Do you hear me?!"

Just as she was enjoying her victory, she felt a tug on the back of her shirt. She turned around to see Gumi, who was shuffling her feet nervously.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, "you didn't have to do all that for me. I didn't want you to get involved because I didn't want you to get in trouble."

Lily waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, so what if I get in trouble? I didn't hurt those guys. They were bein' dicks to you, so I was bein' a dick right back. That's called karma, babe."

"I guess..." Gumi sighed, leaning into Lily. "But what if...what if they get angry and take it out on one of us?"

Lily wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "Trust me, they won't. I've known these guys for a while. They're all spineless cowards who're too afraid of confrontation to act on their words. And if they do decide to pull somethin'..." Her gaze turned dark. "They should know what they're askin' for in return."

Gumi said nothing. She simply wrapped her arms around Lily, her embrace more relaxed than it had been in a long time.

"Thank you," she finally whispered, "I love you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this sooner."

Lily gave her a light squeeze. "Hey, forget about it. I understand. You didn't want me to get hurt." She puffed up her chest. "Well, trust me, dollface, nobody hurts Lily Masuda. Lily Masuda hurts _them._ "

Gumi couldn't help but chuckle at her girlfriend's words. Then, all of a sudden, her head shot up, a worried look on her face.

"Oh no!" she cried. "What time is it?! I don't want to be late for class!"

Lily glanced at the clock on the wall. Shit, it was almost 10:25! No matter. She had the perfect idea for getting Gumi to class on time. Without warning, she scooped her girlfriend into her arms. "Which way is your classroom?"

Gumi pointed forward. "Go all the way to the end of the hall, make a right, and- hey!"

But Lily was already running. "You can show me the rest of the way when we get there!" she huffed. "C'mon, let's go!"

And from that day forward, Gumi never had to worry about bullies again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is completely unrelated but did u know today is sonic the hedgehogs birthday. i cant believe both he and gumi have a pride month bday thats so epic


	24. Tragedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for suicidal thoughts/self harm

Gumi didn't think she deserved Lily.

The more time they spent together, the more obvious it became. Lily was everything Gumi wanted to be, but never could. She was strong, open, brave, and charismatic - her exact opposite. Gumi didn't know why or how someone like Lily could date someone like her.

Gumi knew she was a coward. Nobody close to her would ever say it, but she knew it to be true. She was too cowardly to kill herself, despite all the scars the lined her arms. She was too cowardly to make friends on her own, hence why Miku had to make them for her. She was too cowardly for Lily, too cowardly to ever find true love.

So she sat in her room with her razor, shakily tracing it along the bare flesh of her arms, too cowardly to cut too deep, too cowardly to create new wounds, opening up her old ones instead. She had the door shut and locked because she was too cowardly to risk letting Ryuto walk in and see what she was doing. Not that he would; it was the middle of the night, and she was too cowardly to do this to herself when he was likely to be awake.

When she was done, she looked around for the ointment and bandages she had taken from the kitchen, because she was too cowardly to just let herself bleed to death on her own bed. She winced in pain, resisting the urge to press her hands over the cuts. Carefully, she spread the disinfectant over the wounds, wrapping the bandages around them like she always did, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.

She didn't get any sleep that night.

* * *

Something was wrong.

Lily could tell by the way Gumi had answered her text. Apparently, she had called in sick today, and Lily had sent her a message asking if she was alright. Gumi's response was a simple, _i'm fine._

While any other person would have accepted that, Lily didn't. That wasn't Gumi's usual typing style. Perhaps she was overreacting, but something about the way the reply was written immediately alerted her that something was up.

 _u sure ur ok?_ she asked. _whats the matter?_

A long while passed before she got her answer. _stomach hurts. threw up this morning._

That was definitely suspicious. Normally, if Gumi was sick, she would try to convince Lily that it wasn't a big deal, that she would probably be okay the next day, that there was no need to worry about her. But the bluntness of her statement struck her as unusual.

 _is it ok if i come over after school?_ she said. _i dont want u to be alone w ryuto while ur sick._

Again, Gumi's response was extremely delayed. _i dont want you to worry about me._

That only got Lily to worry even more. What was Gumi hiding? _im coming over,_ she said. _whether u like it or not._

No response. Whatever. As soon as school was over, Lily made a beeline for Gumi's house.

* * *

When she knocked on the door, it was Ryuto who answered.

"Hi, Lily!" he said happily. At least he appeared to be completely fine. "Are you looking for Gumi? She's in her room! She says she feels sick today, though."

Lily nodded, trying to seem casual. "Uh, yeah, I heard about that. Is she okay?"

Ryuto paused, a bit uncertain. "I don't know...she was able to take me to school and pick me up, but..." He looked unsure what to say for a moment before continuing. "Well, she doesn't really _seem_ sick. Just...weird."

"Weird? How?" Lily bent down and put a hand on Ryuto's shoulder, trying to assure him that he could trust her with whatever was going on.

"I dunno how to describe it. Just...weird, y'know?" He waved his hands, as if that would clarify things.

Lily glanced in the direction of Gumi's bedroom, her mouth set into a thin line. "Have you talked to her at all since you got home from school?"

"Yeah, I just told her someone was at the door and she said it was alright to get it."

So Gumi was okay. That took a huge weight off Lily's mind. She got up and walked toward the hallway that lead to her bedroom. "Is it okay if I see her?" she asked. Though some of her concerns were lifted, she still wanted to make sure her girlfriend was safe. After all, something had to be bothering her if she was acting so strangely.

Ryuto shrugged. "I guess. But try not to get sick."

Lily couldn't help but smile faintly. "Don't worry, buddy. I'll be fine."

Carefully, trying not to make her footsteps too loud, Lily approached Gumi's door and knocked gently. "Goom? It's Lily. Can I come in?"

Silence. Then, "Sure."

Gumi's voice sounded so...lifeless. Lily had never heard her so upset before in her life. She opened the door, peering inside. Gumi was lying on her bed, not moving except for the rise and fall of her chest. She glanced briefly at Lily as she entered, but didn't get up.

"Hey, sweetheart," Lily murmured, sitting at the end of Gumi's bed. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sick," Gumi muttered. "I told you."

Lily looked closer and noticed that her eyes appeared to be reddened, as if she had just finished crying or was trying not to cry. "Ryuto tells me you don't seem sick," she ventured. "And no offense, hon, but I ain't buyin' it, either. I've seen you when you're sick, and you're not like this."

Gumi shifted, pulling the covers up farther. "Then why are you here if you know I'm not sick?"

Lily scooted a bit closer. "'Cause I can tell there's somethin' goin' on." Her eyes darted suspiciously over Gumi's blanket-covered body. "Can you take that off for a second? I want to see you."

"Lily, please-" Gumi began, hesitating when she saw the worried look in her girlfriend's eyes. She couldn't say no to that face. Sighing, she slowly removed the blanket, revealing the rest of her body. She appeared to be normal at first glance, but Lily couldn't help but notice how her hands were now buried deep within the sleeves of her orange sweater.

"Can you take your hands out, please?" Lily asked, heart racing. She had a feeling that she knew what Gumi was trying to hide, and every part of her prayed that she was wrong.

Again, Gumi paused. Lily could tell that she was mentally debating on whether or not to show her what was underneath her sleeves. But then, with a wince of defeat, she stuck her hands out and began to roll them down, revealing the worst.

Lily gasped in horror. Bandages were wrapped all around her arms, stained with what she hoped was dry blood and not recent blood. She turned to look at Gumi, who was shamefully avoiding her gaze.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I know I said I wouldn't do it anymore, but-"

"Shh," Lily breathed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Honey, I..." She trailed off, not sure what to say. Instead, all that came out was a low, "Oh, god," as she lost her composure and began to cry.

Gumi felt a pang of guilt as she witnessed the unfamiliar sight. Lily didn't cry very often - only ever around her - but this time she was responsible for it. The thought made the pain in her wounds sting even more.

"When did you do this?" Lily demanded, suddenly stern. "When?"

"Last night." Gumi's voice sounded small. "I haven't done it again since then. I just haven't changed the bandages yet."

"Are you serious?!" Lily practically shouted, eyes wide. Then, she took a deep breath, forcing a calm expression. "Okay. I'll get more, and we can change them together."

Gumi didn't have time to object. In seconds, Lily was out the door and back in with a new roll of gauze, plopping back down on Gumi's bed again.

"You don't have to do this-" Gumi began.

Lily shushed her again. She swallowed hard as she carefully removed the preexisting bandages from Gumi's wrists, bracing herself for what she would see.

While the cuts weren't bleeding anymore, they were still fresh. Lily was no stranger to seeing wounds and cuts on other people, but seeing them on Gumi, who she loved so dearly, was too much to bear. She almost broke down again, but instead chose to reach for the disinfectant. "Here," she said, "just stay still."

Gumi did as she was told, hissing in pain as the ointment stung her cuts. All the while, her brain screamed at her that this was all her fault, all her fault, that Lily would be fine if it wasn't for her, that she was stupid to make her girlfriend worry about her like this.

"Hey," Lily whispered, as if she had read Gumi's thoughts, "don't blame yourself. You have lots of people who care about you, y'know."

"But it's not fair to make them worry about me all the time." Gumi met Lily's gaze, sadness evident in her emerald eyes. "You shouldn't be doing this right now. You should be having fun, you should be at home, you should-"

Lily held up a hand to stop her. She unrolled some of the bandages and started wrapping them around one of Gumi's arms. "I'm doin' this 'cause I _chose_ to do it. And y'know why? It's 'cause I care about you, Gumi. Honest." She smiled tenderly. "You gotta stop thinkin' that you're a burden to people. You're not a burden. Not to Ryuto, not to Miku, not to me." For a moment, her hand rested over Gumi's, and neither of them made any move to dismiss it. Then, Lily began wrapping up her other arm, securing it with medical tape.

Gumi remained silent, thinking over Lily's words. For a moment, she wondered if it was possible that maybe, just maybe, she deserved to feel loved. It was a nice thought, and part of her found comfort in it.

"There we go," Lily announced, patting the bandages gently to make sure they were secure. "Now, is there anything else you wanna talk about? 'Cause I'm always here to listen."

Gumi paused. As much as she wanted to talk to Lily about what drove her to do these things to herself, she still couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt for making her do this. She supposed that would be a good place to start. "I...I feel bad for making you fuss over me. Like...I shouldn't have to put you through this just because I did this to myself." She leaned into Lily, sighing in defeat. "I don't want to manipulate you or use you."

Lily let the words sink in. Of course Gumi would be just as worried about her, too. "Gumi, I..." She searched for the right words. "Okay, listen. This behavior...what you're doin' ain't healthy, and I obviously can't be your therapist. But I'm your girlfriend. And girlfriends stick together and support each other and all that mushy shit." She took both of Gumi's hands in hers. "The fact that you're worried about me is good. It shows that you aren't selfish, that you aren't manipulative, and that you'd never, ever hurt me. Understand?"

Gumi gazed into Lily's eyes, transfixed. The part of her mind that always told her she was a horrible person tried to convince her not to listen, but she shoved that part out of the way. Somehow, what Lily said made sense to her, even if she felt like she didn't deserve it. She nodded, and they sat there in silence for a while, letting each other's company make up for the quiet.

Things weren't okay, and they knew that. Hell, things probably wouldn't be okay for a long, long time. But as long as they had each other, things would get better. And maybe someday, Gumi hoped, when she got the help she needed, they'd still have each other, because that was what girlfriends were for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dw things get better from here......tomorrows prompt might have soooome angst but ill try to make it light


	25. Support

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for implied/referenced homophobia but its very brief and not super detailed

Lily didn't want to admit it, but it was hard to go on sometimes.

It was hard pretending to be tough, pretending not to care about the homophobic remarks that were constantly thrown at her, the taunts, the hatred. She played it off fine, but deep down, she didn't know how much more she could take before she snapped.

That was why friends like Gumi were so great to have.

Somehow, Gumi always managed to calm her down when she was angry. Whenever she was having a rough day, Gumi would be there to support her.

"Don't listen to them," she said, "they're just jealous of how confident you are. That's why they target you - because they wish they were more confident in themselves."

Lily smiled faintly. "Well, can ya blame 'em? If I was a smelly, homophobic virgin, I wouldn't be so confident in myself either."

Gumi snorted in laughter, and Lily was struck by just how cute the action was. "You're a dork," she giggled.

Lily tried to hide the small blush that was creeping onto her face. "Yeah, well, at least I'm a cool dork. Unlike those losers."

This time, it was Gumi's turn to blush, looking away sheepishly. "You are cool...you're, like, the coolest person I've ever met." She rubbed her arm nervously. "I mean, like, I think it's really admirable that you're so unashamed of who you are. N-not that you should be ashamed!" She waved her hands. "I just mean, y'know, you're not afraid to be yourself. Lots of people are nowadays, but not you." She stopped and looked down, clearly embarrassed. "You're so... _real._ "

Lily was taken aback. Real? Her? She had never thought of herself that way before. Blunt, loud, crass...those were the words that often came to mind when she thought of herself. But real? That had never occurred to her. But...it felt right, somehow. At least it did coming from Gumi.

"Hey," Lily said, putting a hand on Gumi's shoulder, "thanks. It's...hard to believe I'm capable of bein' admired, y'know? I guess I just never really considered myself someone who deserved it."

Gumi stared at her, eyes wide. "But you do deserve it!" She took Lily's hand and squeezed it gently. "Honestly, I think more people should be like you."

Lily chuckled. "Trust me, honey, if more people were like me, we'd have a fuckin' nightmare on our hands." She reciprocated Gumi's gesture, looking her in the eyes. "But for real...thank you. You're a great friend, Goom, y'know that?"

Gumi's face turned bright red, and she reached a hand up to run her fingers through her hair. "W-well!!! G-guess what!!! So are you!! S-so there!!"

Lily laughed, realizing for the first time how incredibly adorable Gumi was when she was flustered. It was still hard for her to believe that she deserved it, but Gumi's support meant the world to her. Maybe, just maybe, going through such an awful world wasn't so bad when she had someone like Gumi beside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok were DONE w the angsty prompts now, tomorrow is a return to pure unbridled fluff


	26. Finishing Each Others' Sentences

"Lily!" Gumi called. "I'm gonna-"

"Go to the store?" Lily finished. "Gotcha. Don't worry, I'll take care of things while you're gone."

Gumi chuckled. "You've gotten awfully good at-"

"Predictin' what you're gonna say? Yeah, I'm a natural." Lily puffed out her chest, looking way too proud of herself. "Now, don't you worry-"

"-my pretty little head." Gumi smiled. "I can do it too, you know."

Lily glared at her challengingly. "Oh yeah? Bet you can't-"

"Keep going?" Gumi raised an eyebrow. "Oh, trust me, I can-"

"Go all night."

Gumi blinked, confused. "I was gonna say 'go all _day._ '"

"Oh, yeah. That, too." Lily said, feigning innocence.

Gumi's face reddened. "Oh, it is _on._ "

* * *

Ryuto woke up late that afternoon, as he usually did on weekends. He yawned and climbed out of bed, heading toward the kitchen in the hopes of having a late breakfast.

Instead, he was greeted by the sight of his sister and her wife having what appeared to be some kind of improv session. Every time one of them spoke, the other would finish her sentence, and so on and so forth.

"You think you can stop me? I'm only-"

"-gettin' started? Please! That's-"

"-nothing? How-"

"-dare I? Well, you see-"

And on and on they went, sentence after sentence, not once looking in his direction. Ryuto stared at them for a while, wondering if they would notice him, but it became clear that they were too focused on each other. Sighing, he went into the kitchen, deciding to just have cereal for breakfast instead.

_Man,_ he thought, shoveling a spoonful of Froot Loops in his mouth, _my sister is gay._

And he wouldn't have had it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok now its ACTUALLY gumis birthday......happy birthday lesbians


	27. Memories

"Remember when we first met?" Lily asked one night. The two of them were lying in bed, basking in each other's company, while the moon shone faintly outside their window. Neither of them were tired, so they were spending the late hours just chatting until they fell asleep.

Gumi sighed wistfully, snuggling deeply into her wife's arms. "Yeah," she murmured, "you were really kind of a jerk back then."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. If I remember correctly, you cried when I called you a nerd."

"I was _sensitive!_ " Gumi protested with a laugh. "I can't believe you got me to say the F-word so easily."

"Christ, you still call it the F-word?" Lily ruffled Gumi's hair. "I guess some things never change."

Gumi smiled as she traced her finger aimlessly along Lily's shoulder. "Well, I think both of us have changed a lot since then. I never thought I'd ever get to see you act so soft."

Lily blushed, though it was hardly noticeable in the dim light of the bedroom. "Yeah, well, I never thought I'd get to see _you_ act so confident in yourself. You used to be super shy, remember?"

Gumi giggled. "That's because I was unused to feeling good about myself until you came along. You taught me that it was okay to like all the aspects of myself that I hated, especially the fact that I was gay."

Lily planted a kiss on top of Gumi's head. "Of course," she whispered, "bein' gay ain't nothin' to be ashamed of. I'm glad I was able to help ya realize that."

Gumi hummed and nuzzled into Lily's chest. "You're so wonderful," she said, "I'm so glad I met you. I love you so, so much."

Lily held her close, not wanting to let go for even the slightest moment. "I love you too. Thank you for everything." She yawned, suddenly feeling her eyelids start to droop. "God, talkin' about mushy shit really makes us tired, doesn't it?"

Gumi nodded into Lily's chest, barely suppressing a yawn of her own. "Must be because you're so warm and snuggly..." she muttered, voice heavy with drowsiness.

Years ago, Lily would have tried to deny that comment, but not now. Now, she merely hummed in agreement and let her head rest above Gumi's, taking the opportunity to kiss her again through her emerald locks.

Once upon a time, they never thought they would ever end up like this. But now, as they reflected on the years of memories they had made together, they felt the strength of their bond more than ever before. No matter how much they had changed throughout their many experiences as a couple, they would always have each other's backs, even as they went on to forge new memories together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thinkin abt......memories of my gf uwu.....its so wild to think we met bc of these fanfics omg


	28. The Power of Two

"Okay," Gumi said, reading from her textbook, "what is 'mutualism'?"

Lily didn't hesitate for a second before replying. "A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit."

"Very good!" Gumi closed the textbook and clapped, a pleased smile blooming across her face. "You're gonna ace this test!"

Normally, Lily would doubt such a statement, but hearing it come from Gumi convinced her that it was true. Before they met, Lily thought she would end up failing high school and just becoming a dropout, wandering the streets and doing odd jobs for money for the rest of her life. But for some reason, Gumi made her want to try, to put effort into her schoolwork, to turn over a new leaf and redeem herself in the eyes of her teachers.

"Y'know," she remarked as Gumi began putting away her things, "our relationship is kinda like that."

"Hm?" Gumi looked up from her backpack. "What do you mean?"

"Like..." Lily waved her hands, trying to come up with the right words. "Like, the mutualism thing. We both benefit from each other, y'know? You scratch my back, I scratch yours?"

Gumi laughed, a faint blush staining her cheeks. "That's one way of putting it, yes."

"Look, man, I'm not so good with words, okay?" Lily ran a hand through her hair, suddenly feeling somewhat shy. "I guess what I'm tryin' to say is...thanks for helpin' me. I owe you one."

Gumi reached out and patted her arm. "You don't owe me anything. You already do enough for me. I'm happy to help you." She tried to seem calm, but it was obvious from her reddening face that she was deeply flattered by Lily's gratitude.

Lily smiled, her heart fluttering in her chest. Gumi had become so much more confident and open since they had gotten to know each other. It was refreshing to see such a different side of her, one that Lily had never thought she would see in a million years.

That was the true power of their relationship: they each motivated one another to become better people, to grow and evolve beyond what they thought themselves capable of. It was amazing, Lily thought, what two people could do when they really set their hearts on one another.

When they were together, they felt unstoppable. Was it normal for friendship to do that? They didn't know; they weren't particularly experienced in that regard. All they knew was that, when they were by each other's side, all the worries in the world seemed to melt away.

The power of two really was a beautiful thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha the power of two......just like those pokemon movies.......yknow....bc.....power of one.....power of us......anyway,


	29. "I Love You"s

Gumi was used to hearing "I love you" from Ryuto. They were family, so it was only natural that they loved each other.

But hearing it from Lily, of all people? Now _that_ caught her off-guard.

They were hanging out at lunch, like they normally did, and Gumi was complaining about one of her classmates. Apparently, they had been assigned to do a project together, and he was basically forcing her to do all of the work. Naturally, most of her rant consisted of harsh, biting mockery that Lily never thought she would have heard coming from her.

"Honestly, I should just remove his name from the project altogether and tell the teacher I did everything. Maybe facing some consequences for once in his life will teach him not to be such a lazy dickhole."

Lily was laughing her ass off, not used to hearing Gumi swear. She had to admit that it was incredibly funny seeing her normally reserved friend go off on some dude she barely knew. In the midst of a laughing fit, she gasped out a, "Holy shit, Goom, I love you."

And that, of course, caused Gumi to freeze.

"You...wh-what?" she asked, reeling in disbelief. The words sounded so foreign coming from someone who wasn't Ryuto, it was difficult to process them. She could tell Lily meant it in a platonic way, but it was still unusual to her.

Lily barely seemed to notice Gumi's confusion. "I fuckin' love you, man!" she giggled. "You're funny as hell!"

"I am?" Gumi blinked, slowly registering the phrase in her mind.

"Uh, yeah!" Lily was starting to calm down, wiping tears from her eyes. "I'll be honest, hearin' you go off like that was so fuckin' cool. I didn't even know you were capable of swearin' without goin' all red in the face."

Of course, hearing that comment quickly caused Gumi's cheeks to flush, and she twirled a finger through her hair shyly. "Ah, well, you know...dudes are just jerks sometimes..."

Lily rolled her eyes playfully, reaching out to give her friend a teasing tap on the shoulder. "If I remember correctly, that's not what you called him two minutes earlier." She smiled, holding her head in her hands. "Y'know, Gumi, you're pretty rad. Wanna hang after school?"

Gumi didn't know how to respond at first. Of course, she had gone to Miku's house before, but this felt different somehow. Was it normal to get butterflies in your stomach when a friend asked you to visit?

"Um...s-sure!" Gumi squeaked without thinking. "I mean, well, maybe not today, but...over the weekend? If that's okay with you?"

Lily gave her a thumbs-up. "Sounds good to me. Take all the time you need, dollface."

The bell rang, signalling that lunch was over, and all the other students began collecting their things and heading back inside. After Lily waved goodbye to her, Gumi found herself unable to concentrate for the rest of the day. She just kept repeating Lily's statement over and over again in her head: "I love you. I love you. I love you."

_It's platonic,_ she thought to herself, _she doesn't mean it that way. Get your mind out of the gutter._

And yet, she couldn't stop the glimmer of hope from bubbling up in her chest. For some reason, hearing Lily say those words made her indescribably happy.

But she would never admit that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what huuuurts the mooooost......was being soooo clooooose.....and having so much to say......and watching you walk awaaaaay!!!


	30. I Love You

They said "I love you" in more ways than one.

Saying it out loud was just one piece of the puzzle. They said it through their actions, their body language, their words. Even their non-romantic moments carried that hint of tenderness, the implication that they loved each other more than anything in the universe.

Gumi, being more protective, expressed her love through concern for Lily's well-being. She was always asking things like "Are you okay?" and "How are you?" and "Do you need anything?". She was always checking to make sure Lily was safe and happy, and doing whatever she could to ensure that they were both comfortable. It was fulfilling to her, knowing that they could be secure in each other's company, that they could look out for each other, that they could chase happiness side-by-side.

Lily was more physical in terms of how she expressed her affection. She was always giving Gumi hugs and kisses and snuggles, holding her hand in public, and wrapping an arm around her to let everyone know they were together. It was reassuring to be physically connected, to express their love in public. Such a concept used to terrify them, but now it only served to strengthen their bond and make them more comfortable around other people, especially if one of them was feeling overwhelmed. Having a physical reminder that they were there for each other calmed them down and proved to be a source of stability.

Their love for each other was undeniable. From the very beginning of their relationship, their top priority had always been to make sure they each felt cherished and valued. It was something neither of them were used to, and it took a while to understand that they deserved it, but hearing those sacred words made everything worth it in the end.

Whatever heartbreak and tragedy they faced, they faced together. No matter what happened, they were by each other's side, ready to stand up and fight for their love if they had to. And after every argument, every disaster, every pitfall, they would bounce right back - because love was stronger than turmoil, and their love was the strongest of all.

That was why every "I love you," spoken or not, carried so much weight. And that was why, as they gazed into each other's eyes at the altar, they knew they would be okay. Despite all they had been through and all they would face, they would survive, stronger than ever, and keep on loving until the end of time.

"I love you," Lily whispered when they broke apart from their kiss.

"I love you, too," Gumi replied, stroking the side of her wife's face with a tender hand.

But they didn't need to say it. Deep down, they would always know it to be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaand that concludes the third and final installment of honey and carrots!!!!! yes, the FINAL installment - this is a trilogy, and i intend for it to stay that way. i had fun writing these stories - i wouldnt have met my gf without em!!! - but i think this is a good one to end them off.
> 
> ofc, ill still be writing other honeycarrot stories that arent part of this series!!!! its my comfort ship so i will always love it!!!! i will also post honeycarrot content on my tumblr (vanilla-owns-chocolate) so theres that too!!!! but i think three is a nice number to bring this series to a close :)
> 
> thank you so much to everyone who has read these stories, especially my lovely gf aimee (charcolor). it was your comment on the first honey and carrots that allowed us to meet in the first place, and ever since, i have dedicated each story in this series to you. you keep me motivated to write and give me New Material with each Girlfriend Experience we have aslkjakldsjfs i love you so much!!!!
> 
> once again thank you so so much to all of you, and i hope you had a happy pride month!!!! remember: gumi and lily are Big Gay and in love and that will never change!!!


End file.
